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Seoul museum turns history into living journey with AR glasses
Visitors view exhibits at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in Seoul, June 10. Yonhap
By Lee Kyung-min
Visitors to the Seoul Museum of History can now walk through centuries of the city’s past and watch forgotten scenes emerge around them through a new augmented reality (AR) experience.
The museum said Tuesday it is operating a pilot extended reality exhibition, “Time Travel in Seoul,” at its third-floor permanent exhibition hall, allowing visitors wearing AR glasses to encounter digital recreations of Seoul’s historical landmarks and everyday life.
The experience uses spatial computing technology to respond to visitors’ movements in real time, placing 3D content directly over the museum environment.
As visitors move through the exhibition, they can see a reconstructed 3D Donuimun Gate from the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty era, a moving Gyeongseong streetcar from the opening period and the Korean Empire era, and a rickshaw passing through scenes from the Japanese colonial period.
The final section recreates modern Seoul with the 1988 Seoul Olympics’ symbolic “Boy with a Hoop” and the city’s guardian character, Haechi, welcoming visitors.
The project combines the Seoul Museum of History’s historical archives with AR technology from Qualcomm and immersive content capabilities from spatial computing company Hypercloud.
The museum said the collaboration aims to create a model for a “smart museum” where visitors actively experience history rather than simply view displays.
The exhibition also introduces an interactive mission featuring the main character “Gatssaeng Doryeong,” who guides visitors as they collect virtual cards featuring important artifacts.
Participants can collect cards featuring items including paintings, sculptures, historical documents, clocks, flags and architectural records, then choose audio guides and participate in quizzes related to each era.
The museum said one of the exhibition’s key features is a camera-based indoor positioning system that allows digital content to respond automatically without requiring visitors to operate separate devices.
The free program will run through Oct. 31 and is available through on-site reservations at a rental booth near the third-floor permanent exhibition hall, with four to five visitors allowed per session.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.