Augmented Reality Launched at Megafauna Central

Megafauna Central in Alice Springs has extended its visitor offeringwith the launch of an exciting, new Augmented Reality (AR) experience and a newHoloLens headset experience.

By downloading the free, user-friendly Indigital AR Smartphone Applocals and visitors can journey back to the late Miocene epoch and get up closeto extinct megafauna that roamed Central Australia 8-million years ago.

The App will give users a unique experience as they wander around ToddStreet Mall to discover the behaviour of a Dromaius arleyekweke, the dwarf emu,and to roam alongside Alcoota megafauna such as large marsupial herbivorescalled Plaisiodon.

This unique adventure also allows App users to walk amongst theMegafauna across many different Alice Springs sites including:

  1. ANZAC Hill
  2. Todd River, adjacent to Undoolya Road and Leichardt Terrace
  3. Megafauna Central
  4. A public garden between Alice Plaza and Todd Mall
  5. A public garden outside Adelaide House, Todd Mall
  6. The Coolamon Garden outside the Alice Springs Town Council Chambers
  7. Olive Pink Botanic Garden
  8. The Museum of Central Australia lawn
  9. The entrance to the Alice Springs Desert Park
  10. Adjacent to the Dingo enclosure, Alice Springs Desert Park

Megafauna Centrals innovative HoloLens headset will also be availablein the Todd Mall and will give visitors a unique experience of mixed-reality.Allowing the visitor to move around and experience it as if they were trulypresent.

The Northern Territory Government has invested $250 000 into thisproject, which has been delivered by the Museum and Art Gallery of the NorthernTerritory.

The IndigitalAR App is available for download to smartphones.

Megafauna Central was opened in July last year as part of therevitalisation program for Alice Springs CBD, providing a boost to local jobsand the Central Australian tourism industry.

Quote from the Minister forTourism, Sport and Culture Lauren Moss:

I am incredibly excited to seethis wonderful experience come to life with 6-million-year-old fossils fromCentral Australia on display in the one location for the first time that will provide an important boost to local jobs and thetourism industry.

Megafauna Central is a new andunique tourism product to Alice Springs.

I am very proud that ours will bethe first Australian natural history museum to give visitors the uniqueexperience of the HoloLens, and the first public HoloLens based program in theTerritory

Since opening in July 2018, the centre has seen around 25,000 visitors,averaging 630 on a weekly basis and I expect this will continue to grow.

Quote from Member for Braitling, Dale Wakefield:

The inclusion of Augmented Reality to Megafauna Central will be a hugesuccess for both visitors and locals, as it will deliver fascinatinginformation about the late Miocene epoch in a fun and interactive way.

Megafauna Central continues to deliver economic and social benefits forboth visitors and locals, and has become an important attraction right in themiddle of our CBD. As a Government, we will continue to invest in game-changingAlice Springs projects that will increase visitation, as well as deliver forlocals.

/Public Release. View in full here.