We revive CosmoCaixa Triceratops
26 de January de 2022
The Triceratops cranium is one of the CosmoCaixa exhibitions central pieces (Barcelona Science Museum), and with Augmented Reality we can see what it was like in its natural habitat.
The CosmoCaixa is one of the museums in Spain that has received more awards at a European level, for its great work in technological advances and innovation. The museum has a wide variety of temporary and permanent exhibitions. A permanent one is “La Tira de la Vida” which proposes a journey across our history through fossils. The exhibition centerpiece is the Triceratops cranium, which is one of the largest and in the best condition found in the world. The Triceratops is considered to be the living being with the largest head that has ever walked the earth. It was found in North Dakota in the late 1990s and can now be seen at CosmoCaixa.
In the experience “Bring Triceratops back to life” we can see the Triceratops in motion thanks to Augmented Reality. The operation is very simple, when you are in front of the Triceratops panel, you scan the QR code with your mobile device (smartphone or tablet), and you will see how the Triceratops revives. You will be able to observe with your own eyes how this great three-horned dinosaur comes to life!
All the information on both panels and the QR Code can be read in four languages: Catalan, Spanish, English and French.
The QR Code use is an improvement that we have introduced in the Triceratops visualization, since in an old AR experience that we developed in 2018, it was necessary to download and install an application on smartphones or tablets. In this new version, we have developed the app with webAR technology, and thus the user only needs to access a URL (usually through a QR Code) to access the experience. When reading the QR code, the device’s camera opens, and when the user focuses on the Triceratops cranium (from some signposted spaces in the museum) they can access the Augmented Reality experience. This AR experience means that, without losing your actual physical environment sight, it appears as if the Triceratops cranium disappears, and in its place is an animated 3D model showing us how the Triceratops rises and roars in its natural environment.
When the experience ends, the user can leave their opinion about it, and this information will be taken into account when designing new experiences in the museum’s exhibitions.
