Austria plans to be the first European country with a city-wide 5G network in Vienna. To prove the capacities of this new technology, the country launched a 5G Use Case Challenge. The response came from the UK. Kids media company Azoomee/Da Vinci created a 5G AR experience that transforms Vienna city hall into an explosion of color and magic.
Unleashing the Power of 5G for Immersive AR Experience for Kids
The 5G AR experience creates a model of the Vienna Rathaus (the historic city hall) building and populates it with colorful shapes, magical creatures, and everything else in between. The aim of this project is not only to demonstrate the abilities of 5G to Austrian authorities.
The project also aims to blend education with entertainment and offer kids a fun way to learn history. Historical figures do things we would never expect them to, such as trampoline jumping, skateboard tricks and even playing football. In some areas, the reality is left aside, and replaced with an underwater environment, filled with colorful fish and submarines.
The 5G Use Case Challenge that Launched the Spark of Creativity
This interesting educational AR experience came into being following an official challenge launched by Viennese local authorities. The imperial city aims to be the first European city where all mobile internet users have access to the 5G network.
“We’ve been very impressed with the quality of contributions to Vienna’s 5G Use Case Challenge, but Azoomee/Da Vinci’s work in this space has been especially noted for the way it combines new technology with the city’s heritage,” said Klemens Himpele, CIO of the City of Vienna, in a press release shared with ARPost. “The way its AR app prototype transforms the Rathaus into a digital environment that combines both fun and learning for children is the perfect example of what we hope to achieve with 5G.”
He believes that this app has the capabilities to grow and include other historical landmarks in Vienna and elsewhere across Austria.
How the 5G AR Experience Was Created
In order to meet the challenges of real-time response to user input, Azoomee/Da Vinci used PTC’s Vuforia Area Target environment tracking feature. The project started with a detailed 3D scan of Vienna Rathaus, created with a 3D depth scanning camera. It covered all 800 square meters (around 8611 square feet) of the building, creating a perfect digital replica of the historical building.
The CEO of Azoomee/Da Vinci, Douglas Lloyd, is nothing but enthusiastic about the opportunity presented by the 5G Use Case Challenge.
“We’re thrilled to use the dynamic capabilities of 5G and Vuforia to translate Vienna’s rich history into interactive augmented reality experiences that fit beautifully with Azoomee/Da Vinci’s mission of making learning fun for children,” he said in the press release. “This positive learning experience offers an amazing way to inspire kids to explore the past and immerse themselves in history.”
He further said that he believes children will be able to absorb information in a more powerful way by having direct contact with it, at their fingertips. Lloyd also said that “this is just the start”, and that, hopefully, the company will be able to include more historical sites and buildings into the 5G AR experience.
