New app for Hamilton Gardens
Hamilton Gardens visitors looking for a more virtual experience can now download a mobile app for an immersive tour of the tourist destination.
Launched officially on Thursday, the Hamilton Gardens app allows users to further explore the site by initiating a guided tour, listening to the history behind each garden, and looking up a calendar of events. It is free to download, and is available for Android and Apple smartphones.
Led by University of Waikato associate professor Annika Hinze, staff and students from the Faculty of Computing and Mathematical Sciences have been working on the concept for a number of years.
Once downloaded, the app does not require an internet connection to run. Instead, it uses GPS data to locate the user and their proximity to points of interest.
When users enter a themed garden, the app brings up useful and historical information that users can either listen to or read.
‘‘I like the [app’s] reaction to different things depending on where you are,’’ Hinze said.
‘‘It can appeal to everybody. It’s no longer only for young people. It’s such a normal thing now.’’
Much of the information discussed along each guided tour has been provided by Gardens director Dr Peter Sergel, who said discussions to implement some form of interactive application began in 2013.
‘‘It’s certainly adding a whole different dimension to the Gardens,’’ he said.
‘‘In museums you can have a handheld device, but you can’t do that in an open garden.
‘‘This can really appeal to specific interests.’’
Hinze said the app was a good launch-pad for future updates and features.
Possible developments include audio tours in multiple languages, as well as interactive sculptures created using Bluetooth beacons, she said.