Green Planet AR: Exhibition on BBC series opens in London
Since 2020, BBC Earth's series The Green Planet has guided us through the world of plants. An exhibition in London is now bringing the series digitally into reality - with augmented reality.
No one shaped the genre of English-language nature documentaries as much as Sir David Attenborough. In London, the British wildlife filmmaker and writer can currently also be seen in an elaborate augmented reality installation. In the exhibition "The Green Planet AR" at Picadilly Circus, he guides visitors through various climate zones in the form of an animated hologram.
Like the BBC's series model, the stationary AR experience revolves around the diversity of plant life. Admission is free, but the number of tickets is limited.
At the presentation, which started on February 11, visitors will receive a Samsung S21 5G attached to a sturdy selfie stick at the entrance. The phone acts like a window into reality, through which the overgrown halls are enriched with digital elements.
The Green Planet AR: insight into the plant world
When guests hold the device in front of the real-life backdrop, they see why "plants are important to the future of our planet." This life form can also be "as aggressive, competitive and dramatic as any other living thing on the planet," according to the organizer. The approximately 40- to 60-minute field trip will take them through "rainforest, freshwater, saltwater, desert and the seasons."
The campaign is also about 5G marketing: The data from the AR experience is sent to smartphones via 5G, and a "5G AR Consortium" of six companies is behind the exhibition. The consortium secured a government grant of 2.2 million British pounds as part of the "5G Create Competition".
Factory42 took on the development of the AR experience in collaboration with the BBC. The streaming partner is mobile operator "EE Limited," a retail brand of BT (formerly British Telecom).
Free AR experience with 5G streaming
Those interested should not wait too long before visiting: The exhibition at 55 Regent Street will close its doors again as early as March 9, 2022. Visitors are not allowed to use their own cell phones, even if they bring a suitable Samsung model.
Currently, the event is fully booked. From February 17, more tickets will be given away for free on the official website of The Green Planet AR. Directions and hygiene rules are also explained there. There are currently no plans to repeat the exhibition at a different location.
Read more about Augmented Reality:
- Passthrough AR headset Lynx R-1: What's going on?
- Apple Reality OS: Further clues on the XR operating system
- U-turn on Hololens: Microsoft follows Meta and Apple - Report
Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.
