“What if you could point your phone at a painting and watch it come to life — telling its story, guiding your journey, and adapting to your needs?”

The Problem I noticed:

“During my visit to Museum, I saw families skip entire sections because signs were confusing. That was the moment we thought — what if AR could guide them?”

How might we help museum visitors explore artworks more intuitively and meaningfully using AR, while ensuring accessibility for all ages and abilities?

Project was all about:

A Museum Built on Storytelling Through Art

“The museum is built around a series of beautifully painted pillars. Each pillar has artwork on all four sides, and every painting tells a different part of a larger story. These aren’t just decorations they are meant to teach and inspire through visual storytelling.”

The exploration (looked at AR tech, reviewed case studies)

How Augmented Reality Actually Works?

Imagine you’re walking through a museum, and you point your phone camera at a painting. Suddenly, that painting starts telling you its story — through animations, sound, or 3D models. That’s Augmented Reality (AR) in action.

Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works

Screenshot AR.png

Exploration of AR Technology

AR Type	How It Works	Pros	Cons	Suitability for Museum
Marker-Based	Scans visual markers like paintings	Accurate, easy setup	Needs clear markers	✅ Best for fixed art exhibits
Location-Based	Uses GPS data	Works outdoors	Poor indoor accuracy	❌ Not suitable
SLAM	Tracks space in real-time	Works without markers	High processing cost	⚙️ Use as hybrid support

Exploration of Navigation Technologies

Technology	Works Indoors?	Accuracy	Cost	Notes
GPS	❌	Low	Low	Unreliable indoors
Wi-Fi / Beacons	✅	Medium	High	Setup cost & maintenance
SLAM	✅	High	Medium	Sensitive to light & motion
Marker-Based	✅	Very High	Low	Ideal for fixed artwork

Exploration of Case Studies (Benchmarking)

Museum	Type of AR	Key Interaction	Visitor Impact	Learning for Our Project
Art Gallery of Ontario	Mobile AR	Painting transformations	High engagement	Inspired use of storytelling animation
National Museum of Singapore	Immersive AR forest	Gamified exploration	Increased dwell time	Led to idea of “story-based navigation”
Smithsonian, Washington D.C.	Skeletal visualization	Educational storytelling	Better scientific understanding	Reinforced 3D animation + narration design