Germany Tourism | Castles in AR

Experience German cultural treasures in augmented reality

Agency: Design4real, Munich

Client: German National Tourist Board

Project goal:

Design4real has made German cultural treasures digitally accessible using modern augmented reality technology. For the German National Tourist Board and the 2023 UNESCO World Heritage Sites campaign, the agency developed immersive AR experiences that make it possible to virtually explore major castles and historical sites. In this way, culture is brought into the digital world in an innovative way.

Challenge:

A special challenge for the Design4real team was reducing the complex scanned 3D datasets to meet the requirements of the Facebook AR platform Spark with a maximum file size of 4 MB, while simultaneously ensuring an appealing presentation of the structures.

Results:

Virtual staging of German castles

On behalf of the German National Tourist Board, Design4real has made three of Germany's most famous castles experienceable in Augmented Reality (AR). The castles of Neuschwanstein, Charlottenburg, and Moritzburg were captured in true detail using state-of-the-art 3D scanning technology (photogrammetry). Through this innovative AR staging, these historic buildings can now be virtually placed on any living room table in the world and viewed in 3D from all perspectives. Users can thus experience the splendor of these castles up close, as if they were right there in person.

Experiental UNESCO World Heritage sites

For the 2023 campaign of the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Design4real has brought further architectural masterpieces into the digital world using WebAR technology. The World Heritage Sites Classical Weimar, Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, and the Old Town of Bamberg were implemented as interactive AR experiences for Facebook and Instagram. Users have the opportunity to explore these significant structures as 3D puzzles while learning more about their rich history. In this way, history is brought to life and made tangible in a playful manner.

Immersive AR Experiences:
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram technology, these impressive AR experiences can now be easily enjoyed virtually. The UNESCO World Heritage sites have been brought to life as interactive Instagram filters developed with the Meta Spark platform. With just a few clicks, these masterpieces can be placed directly on your own coffee table, puzzled together, and viewed from all sides in stunning detail. This innovative combination of history and modern technology makes it possible to experience culture in a completely new, immersive way.

Try it yourself: World Heritage right at home!

Experience the castles here in AR.

Or experience here one of the German UNESCO World Heritage Sites as an interactive AR 3D puzzle.

Let us advise you.

Are you interested in developing an AR, Virtual Reality, or 360° application? You might still have questions about the budget and implementation. Feel free to contact me.

I'm looking forward to seeing you

Clarence Dadson CEO Design4real