MCN2015

Augmented Reality is a recent subject of curiosity and experimentation from the museum community and considered a tool for museum innovation. It is the promise of an advanced natural interaction between visitors, collection objects and their data, putting action and unique personal experiences at the core.

We base our discussion on a research project taking place at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, using the mobile app Skin & Bones as a case study. The app was released in January and promotes visitors interaction with the skeletons on display at the Bone Hall. This is the institution’s oldest exhibit, a Victorian-age relic that contains close to 300 skeletons, with most specimens collected during the 19th century; the current display dates from 1964.By downloading the app to their mobile devices, visitors can enjoy 10 3D AR experiences, 32 short videos and 4 activities. This content is structured according to the IPOP theoretical framework and explores scientific concepts underpinning the exhibit, introduces scientists and their personal experiences, presents the roles the animals play in the environment, showcases their unique anatomical features, and promotes haptic interactions with the device.

The purpose of creating Skin & Bones was to change the visitor experience from passive to active, to increase the enjoyment and memorableness while connecting to the objects behind glass, and to do this without touching the physical exhibit.Skin & Bones was recently the recipient of a Gold MUSE Award in the category Games and Augmented Reality and has received the attention and praise of the media, museum professionals and users overall.

The research project to be presented at MCN 2015 collects data from visitors using the app in the Bone Hall, through interviews, surveys, observation and tracking, and app content selection analysis; it also examines data provided by integrated analytics. It is an in depth study that intends to establish valuable guidelines regarding the use of this promising technology in museums, and to compare visitors preferences and behaviors with the predictive framework that was used to structure the content.

During the presentation we will briefly cover the design, content production and software development process for the app; and share for the first time in a conference setting the interpretation of the research results and conclusions gathered.