The refurbished and restored Bapu Museum in Vijayawada is ready for visitors. “The augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools will enhance the museum experience,” promises Apurva Sinha, archaeologist from Development and Research Organisation for Nature, Arts and Heritage (DRONAH) in Gurgaon, that has been engaged by the State Department of Archaeology.
DRONAH is in charge of the concept, design and curation of gallery spaces. There are LED projectors, augmented and virtual reality, graphic walls and CC cameras. International standard techniques are being used in terms of planning, display, lighting and fire safety.
K Sateesh Kumar, Managing Director of Scintilla Kreations, Hyderabad, lends his expertise to the augmented and virtual Reality, a graphic wall, an interactive touch panel and a separate immersive projection mapping room.
“Museums so far have been static places. The whole exercise is to make this space interactive and participatory, where along with information and education, there will also be entertainment,” says Mallikarjun Rao, Deputy Director, Andhra Pradesh Department of Archaeology and Museums.
The technology will enable a heightened storytelling experience for visitors where they will see, listen to and participate in the history of Andhradesa, from the Palaeolithic times to the Nizam period.
Artefacts from each period speak up with digital interactives and augmented and virtual reality tools. “Imagine the sculptures speaking to visitors and telling their tales, about their journey and its significance,” exclaims Sateesh. “AR will add life to the static objects with sounds, visuals and added information.”
There are seven galleries over two floors, with Buddhist and Jaina sculptures, Brahmanical sculptures, pre-historic and early historic relics, numismatics and epigraphy, textile, mid century perspectives and arms and weapons. Mallikarjun Rao says, “We are expecting to be done by September 25.”
