In a major collaboration with BBC R&D and the arts and museums sector, Nexus Studios developed ‘Civilisations AR’, the BBC’s first augmented reality app.
Created to accompany ‘Civilisations’, BBC Two’s landmark arts and culture series, the app showcases more than 30 historic artefacts from across the globe including an ancient Egyptian mummy from the Torquay Museum, Rodin’s The Kiss from the National Museum of Wales, iconic sculptures from Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth and masterpieces by Tintoretto, Bellini and Turner.
With contributions from across the UK's heritage sector, artefacts were digitally scanned to enable app users to put history in their hands, explore and learn like never before.
Users can move, scale and rotate the collection, allowing them to become the explorer.
The magic ‘Spotlight’ feature reveals audio guides and special features.
‘X-Ray’ allows people to discover history’s secrets hidden within; see inside a sarcophagus or what lies beneath a painting for example.
‘Restore’ rubs through the layers of history; bringing lustre to a Greek Corinthian helmet or colour to a faded Roman Cockerel statuette to show what they looked like when new.
With ‘Translate’, hieroglyphics from the British Museum’s iconic Rosetta Stone are deciphered.
Users can ‘Navigate’ the collection geographically in AR using an AR globe or via curated themes and may also take and share photos of the objects as they appear.
