The new Fossil Discovery Adventure app accompanies visitors to the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden, Manitoba. (HANDOUT)
A new augmented reality smartphone app is adding another layer of interactivity for those who visit the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden.
The “Fossil Discovery Adventure” app is the first-of-its-kind for a Canadian museum, allowing visitors to collect AR fossils throughout CFDC by finding 12 digital dig sites and applying their knowledge of the exhibits to the app’s built-in trivia game.
“There is really nothing like this in any museum in Canada and we are thrilled to be on the leading edge of bringing interactive experiences like this into our gallery,” said CFDC executive director Peter Cantelon.
Cantelon says the app isn’t meant to act as a replacement to a museum visit, but allows visitors to be rewarded for exploring galleries more in-depth.
“To top it off, the app lets users take a digital piece of our exhibits home to share it with friends and family.”
Once questions within the app are correct answered, the user can unlock tools needed to dig and collect 3D digital fossils, which is a digital replica of the CFDC’s Guinness World Record holding Mosasaur (the “T-Rex of the sea”), Bruce.
The app was built in collaboration with ZenFri Inc. and Bit Space Development.
“What we really love about projects like this, beyond getting to work with amazing prehistoric creatures, is that it re-enforces that fact that there are so many hidden treasures in Manitoba,” said ZenFri’s chief executive artist Corey King.
The app is available as a free download from the App Store and Google Play.
