Introduction

How Museums Are Revolutionizing Experiences with Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) is a transformative technology that overlays digital information—images, text, or sounds—onto the physical world, enriching our perception of our surroundings. Traditionally associated with smartphones and tablets, AR is now entering a groundbreaking new era with devices like the Apple Vision Pro.

This cutting-edge headset, introduced in 2024, pushes the boundaries of augmented reality, offering users a seamless and immersive way to interact with digital enhancements directly within their field of vision without needing to hold up a device. By integrating sophisticated AR capabilities, the Apple Vision Pro not only represents a significant leap forward in how technology can augment our daily lives but also opens up innovative possibilities for applications in various sectors, including education, entertainment, and especially in enhancing museum experiences.

While the Apple Vision Pro is grabbing headlines, phone-based AR apps have been popular for several years. For example, Pokémon Go allows users to ‘catch’ Pokémon hiding in the world around them, overlaying animated creatures onto real-world settings through the device’s camera. The app, downloaded over one billion times, demonstrates AR's accessibility and potential to reach a vast audience.

Understanding Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) offers total immersion in a different reality, replacing the user’s surroundings with a completely alternate environment. In contrast, Augmented Reality (AR) enhances the existing world by adding digital elements to it. This distinction makes AR particularly useful for providing additional information and context to real-world scenes, requiring only a smartphone or tablet and downloadable apps, unlike VR, which needs specialized equipment like headsets and controllers.

How Museums Are Leveraging Augmented Reality

Museums around the world are exploring various innovative uses of AR to enhance visitor experiences. Here are some exciting ways they are doing so:

de Young Museum, San Francisco

The de Young Museum's "Fashioning San Francisco: A Century of Style" exhibition offers visitors a unique experience through an interactive try-on installation developed in partnership with Snap Inc. Using Snapchat technology, visitors can virtually dress in evening wear by designers like Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino.

Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris

The Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle’s “REVIVRE” project allows visitors to encounter digital renditions of extinct animals. From beetles to giant tortoises, the experience brings these creatures back to life in their actual sizes through AR.

The National Gallery, London

The National Gallery has extended its collections beyond its walls with an AR app that brings classic and modern paintings to life on the streets of London. This allows the public to view works by artists like Titian and Vincent Van Gogh in an entirely new context

The National Museum of Singapore

The "Story of the Forest" installation at the National Museum of Singapore transforms 69 images from the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings into interactive, three-dimensional animations. Visitors use an AR app to explore and ‘collect’ plants and animals, learning about their habitats and other facts.

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

The Art Gallery of Ontario collaborated with digital artist Alex Mayhew on the “ReBlink” project, which reimagines classic paintings in a modern context through AR. This interactive experience shows, for instance, characters in George Agnew Reid’s "Drawing Lots" absorbed in their phone screens, reflecting on technology’s impact on modern life.

Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

At the Smithsonian Institution’s Bone Hall, an AR app called "Skin and Bone" superimposes images over skeletons to reconstruct how the creatures looked and moved. This app provides a unique, interactive way for visitors to engage with historical specimens.

Pérez Art Museum, Miami

The Pérez Art Museum's "Invasive Species" exhibition by Felice Grodin is a fully AR-powered art installation that conjures digital images into an empty space, commenting on climate change and the fragility of ecosystems.

Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island

The Kennedy Space Center uses AR to recreate critical moments in space history. For example, an AR projection of astronaut Gene Cernan’s 1966 spacewalk is superimposed over the Gemini 9 space capsule, allowing visitors to experience this historical event firsthand.

Challenges and Opportunities

While AR has incredible potential, there are challenges to consider. One concern is that technology might isolate visitors, but many museums find that AR experiences can actually promote social interaction as people share screens and discuss what they see. Another risk is technological exclusion, particularly for older generations, but museums like PAMM have found that older visitors also enjoy and engage positively with AR exhibitions. There have been instances of unauthorized AR content, such as the 2018 MoMA incident where artists overlaid digital content onto exhibits without permission. However, museums can avoid such issues by ensuring AR installations complement rather than overshadow existing works.

The Future of AR in Museums

The future holds exciting possibilities for AR in museums. Unlike VR, which requires expensive, specialized equipment, AR offers a more accessible way to enhance exhibits. It can capture visitors’ attention and deepen their engagement with displays, extending the time they spend interacting with exhibits.

Curators, armed with knowledge and a desire to engage, can use AR to communicate stories and facts in captivating new ways. From virtual renditions of artists narrating their work to historical scenes superimposed onto modern ones, AR can make history and art come alive, inviting visitors into an enriched, interactive world.