China's Terracotta Warriors get armed with AR

World
Europe

Visitors of The Franklin Institute can now “arm” some 2,000-year-old Chinese Terracotta Warriors by simply pointing their smartphones at the statues.

Based in Philadelphia, US state of Pennsylvania, the institute welcomed the 10 life-size statues from China’s northwest Shaanxi Province, for its new exhibition named “Terracotta Warriors of The First Emperor,” and developed a mobile app allowing visitors to explore the figures with augmented reality (AR) technology.

The augmented reality (AR) app features dimensional imagery of the Terracotta Warriors, information about their original weapons and more. /The Franklin Institute

“The Franklin Institute is always seeking innovative ways to engage visitors with exhibition content,” Larry Dubinski, President of Franklin Institute, told CGTN. “At the time of our exhibit development [2016], AR technology had been advancing quickly, and we were motivated to want to explore it further within Terracotta Warriors, using the fully-realized images we feature.”

The exhibition, running from Sept. 30 this year to March 4 next year, showcases a subset of among the 8,000 clay soldiers crafted about 2,200 years ago as the afterlife companions for China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang.

The museum staff was able to scan the statues and make dynamic computer-generated imagery (CGI) representations of what the statues would have looked like upon their burial down the massive mausoleum of the emperor.

Staff of Franklin Institute is scanning the figures for computer-generated imagery (CGI). /The Franklin Institute

By pointing their phones at a tag of each warrior, the museum-goers can see eight of the 10 original warriors with virtual reality elements such as their weapons that crumbled to dust long ago in the maze of underground chambers. They can also explore information that is not currently featured in the exhibition using the app.

To ensure the historical accuracy of the missing items, the developers and curators of the museum worked together to pick the right colors, shapes and materials for the weaponry.

The app completes the clay warriors with items such as weapons and instruments that disintegrated long ago. /The Franklin Institute

The mobile app is now available for both iOS and Android devices, and is in continuous development. In the coming weeks, visitors will be able to trigger the visuals by pointing their smartphones directly at the statues.

The 10 warriors – the most ever lent to an exhibit in the US – are individually displayed in the institute highlighting their contributions and identities in the army. The platoon from across the Pacific Ocean includes a general, a set of kneeling and standing archers, a cavalryman, a kneeling musician, a saddled horse and more.

To enhance the interactive experience, the museum chose to recreate some replica of the soldiers and project lights show onto the dummies mimicking the abscission of the originally vibrant lacquer.

Along with the warriors, the museum showcases up to 170 artifacts of pre-Qin, Qin and Han dynasties loaned from many Chinese museums, Dubinski told CGTN, including weapons, jade pieces, bronze bells and ceremonial vessels.

Visitors are checking out some clay and bronze from Emperor Qin Shi Huang's tomb at Franklin Institute. /The Franklin Institute

The Terracotta Army was built between 247 and 210 BC to protect Qin Shi Huang, who believed in immortality and the afterlife. The emperor who standardized currency, measures and writing characters died four years before his greatest achievement, apart from building the Great Wall. The three giant pits where the thousands of soldiers stand now is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of China’s richest archaeological treasures.

It was first discovered by farmers in Shaanxi in 1974, by shards belonging to the statues. The further excavation led to the discovery of a 22-square-mile (57-square-kilometers) mausoleum, one of the world’s largest burial complexes.

Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum, where the Terracotta Army stand over the millennia, is a UNESCO World Heritage site today. /Xinhua Photo

Recently, China has been working on promoting the treasure with innovative technology. Mobile devices, which are sometimes considered a distraction, are now utilized to enhance learning experiences, especially among the young people.

Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Park, home of the warriors, also developed a mobile app last year. Visitors can use it to scan the postcards they purchased at the park and take home the 3D warrior that popped up on their screens. The app also provides information about the warriors and other artifacts.

Earlier this year, China's Internet giant Baidu joined hands with the site park and brought back to life the funerary figures' original color with AR technology.

China's mobile app for the Terracotta Army allows you to "take home" a warrior with detailed information.

At Franklin Institute’s exhibition preview, Jia Qiang, Deputy Director of Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, said such events will “enhance the understanding and friendship” between China and the US.

It is the first time in 30 years that Philadelphia has had the opportunity to showcase the Terracotta Warriors. Four of them were exhibited in the Philadelphia Art Museum in 1987.

Kids are creating their own Terracotta Warriors at the "Build a warrior" station. /The Franklin Institute

This time, the institute set up a roughly 1,300-square-meter multi-room space for showcasing the statues and activities like building your own Terracotta Warriors with clay. A companion film, “Mysteries in China,” plays in the museum’s IMAX Theater.

11071km