Augment reality to see the bigger picture
DITCH THE HEADSETS AND ENTER A 3D WORLD ON SCREEN
YOU learn a lot more seeing how things work than you do being told how they work. That’s why augmented reality (AR) is such a powerful educational tool.
Through the screen of your device, you can see items and watch events in fully-explorable 3D.
More accessible than virtual reality, which requires a clunky headset, AR is available to almost anyone who has a smartphone in their pocket… and there are some remarkable worlds to explore.
See things from a new angle with four AR apps to try now.
All these apps are available for both iOS and Android, and some work on the big screen of the iPad, too.
HOLOGO They say:
The Hologo vision is to create the next generation of extraordinary human beings. Hologo is the brainchild of leading educators, artists and technologists that have come together to deliver a stimulating education experience for educators, students and lifelong learners.
We say: Hologo is the only service on this list that costs money because it’s a fully-fledged educational tool that can be used in schools.
It offers a wide range of lessons – from walking the Great Wall Of China to exploring the inside of a human heart, there are few places you can’t go with this app.
Cost: £9.99/month
MISSIONS ON MARS They say: Explore Mars with the power of AR. Take an interactive look at Perseverance and other rovers, drive them, and explore Mars in immersive 3D. We say: Mars 2020 is a Nasa mission that forms part of our efforts to understand the red planet… and it’s happening right now.
Since February the rover Perseverance and its accompanying mini-helicopter Ingenuity have been carrying out experiments on the surface of the planet. This app helps you understand what they are doing and why, and have a lot of fun doing it.
You can get an interactive 3D tour of the rover itself using AR, as well as go on an immersive 3D tour of the planet. You can even use AR to drive the rover down your street...
Cost: Free
BIG BANG AR They say:
Join actress Tilda Swinton, and CERN scientists on an epic interactive journey through the birth and evolution of the universe – in mixed reality. Go back 13.8bn years and discover how space, time and the visible universe came to be.
We say: The CERN particle physics lab on the Swiss-French border is perhaps better known as the place where the World Wide Web was created than for its many breakthroughs in science. But this app is where both those things collide in glorious AR. The Big Bang isn’t the easiest of concepts to understand, but as you watch the universe unfold from its origins right before your very eyes, all becomes a bit clearer. You can see the formation of the first stars, the solar system, and the Earth. It’s the perfect use for AR. Cost: Free
WHAT’S THAT BUMBLEBEE They say:
A great way to engage with and identify the UK’s eight most common bumblebees using augmented reality, illustrations, images and species details to create an accessible tool for all ages. We say: We all know how important bees are to the ecosystem in which humans thrive… but they have not been doing so well lately. That’s why this is an important app to help us understand how we can be involved in the battle to preserve them. The AR element helps you learn about bees by watching them fly around your own home. You can explore the eight most common of the 24 types of bee we have in the UK in close-up 3D so you can identify those that you see in the wild.
The app was created by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a UK charity dedicated to creating a world in which bumblebees are ‘thriving and valued’.
Cost: Free