Bringing history alive

That rainy afternoon at the museum need never be boring again, thanks to new augmented reality technology.

Christchurch company MindSpace Solutions has launched an augmented reality binocular station at the Canterbury Museum, overlaying computer graphics onto real life objects.

Looking through the binoculars, visitors to the Nga Taonga gallery see 2D and 3D graphics explaining the objects and what they were used for.

MindSpace managing director Eric Woods says the station was designed to “add a deeper layer of context to the artifacts, how they were used, how they were maybe experienced or how they were made and in some cases the legends and culture surrounding those artifacts too”.

MindSpace is a spinoff of the University of Canterbury-sponsored research centre Hit Lab (short for Human Interface Technology). A partner of the multidisciplinary US centre of the same name, Hit Lab works with companies and researchers on augmented and virtual reality projects.

Although Woods formed his own company to pursue the binocular station project, much of the graphic effects were completed within Hit Lab. “Essentially I’m a project manager on the Hit Lab side of it, and I’m the project manager on the MindSpace side of it,” he says.

The Canterbury Innovation Incubator has also played a part in the development of the technology, providing MindSpace with sponsorship and mentoring.

The aim is to install four binocular stations this year, targeting other museums, zoos and scenic locations. There’s already interest in Auckland, Wellington and Adelaide, and exhibits in Trinidad and Mexico have gone well, says Woods.

“Once we’ve built up the momentum, we can hope to probably double in the next year after that,” he says.
“Everyone I met with was interested and looking into it further — of the 10, 12 places I contacted only about two said it wasn’t appropriate for them at the moment.”

In tandem with the binocular station, MindSpace has designed an augmented reality system for the average home computer. Originally for use in schools but it was difficult get it off the ground, says Woods.

“For the first couple of years we were targeting schools but we found the education market was very difficult to get traction in. Their curriculum is already so full that they have trouble getting other stuff in there. We did our best to make materials that fitted with the curriculum, but it was just painfully frustrating at times.”

But keep an eye out at a museum near you.