Nexus Studios collaborates with SK Telecom, Google and the CHA for AR experience Changdeok ARirang
Skwigly
Nexus Studios has collaborated with SK Telecom, Google and the Cultural Heritage Administration to transform Changdeok Palace, a UNESCO world-heritage site, into the world’s first digitally mapped AR experience.
In this first of its kind AR enhanced tour, visitors to the majestic Changdeok Palace are invited to immerse themselves in an eclectic mix of educational, explorative and playful stories to learn, discover and partake in customs and traditions of the 17th and 18th Century Joseon dynasty.
Make friends with a mythical wayfinding character, practice archery with Prince Yi San, take a selfie with King Yeongjo and Queen Jeongseong, learn an ancient dynastic dance and tour the Secret Garden in Buyoungji, made possible through the combination of over 600 years of history, culture and next-generation AR technology.
Changdeok ARirang
Visitors are guided around the palace grounds by an enigmatic mythical creature – Haechi, who not only wayfinds but imparts the stories of the Joseon dynasty. Walking between a variety of locations, sited on a digitalised ancient map, visitors can interact with members of the Joseon court and discover ancient artefacts as if they were still there. All carefully reimagined in AR and activated by 5G powered Android devices.
Nexus Studios worked with a team of experts each step of the way to ensure every detail within each experience was authentically recreated. From the headdresses, shoes and ceremonial gowns worn by the actors to the priceless artefacts dotted around the palace grounds, every element was painstakingly considered and had to be approved by a board of cultural advisors. All of the cast are South Korean. The dancer is a trained traditional Korean dancer. The music within the experience is the Arirang, a traditional Korean folk song, often considered the anthem for Korea. The team even took a traditional Korean archery lesson to learn how to properly draw and fire an arrow.
Through the innovative use of AR, volumetric capture, cloud anchors (a visual positioning system for AR) and other pioneering technologies , the entire cultural site has been mapped out digitally and transformed into a virtual canvas upon which the 12, unique interactions take place. Visitors can access rich media content instantly and enjoy 4k volumetric captured performances, made possible through SKT 5G Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), Google ARCore and Google Cloud technologies.
Known for being one of the most liberal ruling families of South Korea, the experience was commissioned to bring the Joseon family, its heritage and important symbolism to life in the 21st century and grant unprecedented access to hidden artefacts and stories. Staying true to this liberal and inclusive reputation, the team designed a route specifically for wheelchair users and have created an ‘at home’ version for those unable to make it to the palace. The ‘at home’ version will be launching soon.
We’re incredibly excited to launch this experience alongside Google and SK Telecom. It marks an important moment in the evolution of ‘Enhanced Location’ based experiences that demonstrate the mind blowing possibilities of placing AR content over the real world.
As leaders in the Augmented Reality industry this was an exceptionally challenging and compelling project on many fronts. Thanks to Google’s ARCore technology we were able to expand upon our previous work in enhancing locations with an intelligent guide that knows its position to within centimeter accuracy, as well as design experiences to the architecture of the palace. And with SK Telecom’s 5G network we were able to push the boundaries of photo-real 4k volumetric rendering by bringing to life Kings, Queens, Princes and more, on a
mobile phone.We’re hoping this project sets the benchmark for the potential of AR in future arts and culture experiences, particularly in the face of Covid-19 and its impact on museum and gallery access. We’re proud of this example of authentically preserving and enhancing culture, making it accessible to all. Keep your eyes peeled for the at home version!
-Luke Ritchie, Head of Interactive Arts at Nexus Studios