Terracotta Warriors AR: Experience one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history through augmented reality.
The Franklin Institute's Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor exhibition takes the museumgoer on a journey through one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history: the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi, the First Emperor of China.
The Franklin Institute leadership wanted an augmented reality (AR) experience that would allow on-site museum visitors and off-site application users to interact with the 2,200-year-old Terracotta Warrior statues and transform the way visitors experience museums, from passive to interactive. The accompanying AR application gets you up close to the ancient terracotta statues, armed with weapons and objects from the tomb.
Our team guided the strategy, development, and implementation of the experience, working with curators to digitally recreate objects like swords and spears that were held by the warrior statues. Visitors were able to activate the AR experience of the warriors’ weapons by pointing their phones at the statues or in front of a two-dimensional “anchor” that’s fixed to the interpretive display with each statue.
The Terracotta Warriors AR app demonstrates how our augmented reality solutions can help leverage smartphones to assist in history and science education.
Terracotta Warriors AR offers three modes:
Statue mode
We developed one of the world's first and finest large-scale object tracking experiences, allowing visitors to view, interact with, and learn about the warriors and their virtual weapons via their smartphones.
Photo mode
Museum visitors could activate the warriors’ virtual weapons by holding their phones in front of a two-dimensional “anchor” that’s fixed to the interpretive display with each statue.
Mobile Warriors: Create your own army.
Build an army of terracotta warriors wherever you are. Take and share screenshots with your family and friends!
What we did
3D modeling
AR experiential design and implementation
Art, creative and technical direction
Mobile application design and development
Subject matter expert interfacing and knowledge transfer
UI and UX design
Press
Augmented World Expo presentation
Brian Yetzer presented the Terracotta Warriors AR project during the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara, California.
Yetzer Studio solutions delivers measurable results.
Increase ticket sales and visitor numbers.
Engage visitors through interactive elements that make learning personalized and enjoyable.
Provide a more memorable and satisfying museum experience.
Ensure accuracy through the expertise of leading historians and scientists.
Enhance “virality” by allowing users to share AR content on social media.
Connect the past with the present by enabling visitors to make these connections through their smartphones.
Expand the creative potential of AR experiences by integrating large, complex shapes beyond flat surfaces.
Utilize analytics to gauge the effectiveness of experiential activities.