Augmented reality, in which the real world is combined with digital objects, is already a part of our lives in applications that can make it easier for us to choose the right furniture to decorate our homes or make us enjoy video games. Remember the recent success of AR app that came with Pokémon Go? In addition to all its utilities, also those aimed at the tourism sector definitely stand out in the present times.
Thus, we can enjoy the best apps to travel with augmented reality, learn more about the places we visit, and take advantage of the information they provide us. These are some of the many options that may interest you!
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1. World Around Me
If what you like is to know more about the places you visit, World Around Me (WAM) is one of those free applications, for iOS and Android, that you cannot miss trying out. Using the augmented reality technology, WAM locates and indicates banks and ATMs, restaurants, museums, parks, gas stations, transportation, hospitals, shops, and temples. You can see the results through augmented reality in a list or on a map to navigate. This application was awarded the 2016 Google Play Award Winner.
2. Senditur
Another free application, available for Android that deals with places of interest for travelers in Spain is Senditur. Through augmented reality, you can discover the towns and mountains that are close to you. It shares all the details that may interest you about the natural and historical heritage. Specially designed for hiking, the Camino de Santiago and the mountain routes will be easy to locate in addition to pharmacies, hostels, shelters and rest areas. It has online and offline functions so it will not be a problem if you run out of coverage.
3. Smartify
Smartify is another app that you absolutely cannot miss for iOS and Android if you are a museum lover. With it, you can point your mobile phone to a work of art and discover its history in another way, thanks to augmented reality. Among the various museums where you can enjoy this app are:
- The National Portrait Gallery and The Royal Academy of Arts in the United Kingdom
- The San Donato Museum in Italy
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
- J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles)
- Laguna Art Museum of Contemporary Photography (Chicago) in the United States, and
- Reina Sofía Museum in Spain
4. Night Sky
Irrespective of where you are, if you wish to enjoy the immensity of the sky on a peaceful night, you can do that through the incredible augmented reality planetarium called Night Sky that has been designed for iOS 11. With it, you can identify stars, planets, constellations, and satellites, just holding the device against the night sky, in addition, to live astronomical tours and receive notifications from My Sky.
5. Viewranger
If hiking, biking, and nature are your things, with Viewranger, it is possible to discover routes, download road maps, roads, ski slopes and use the phone camera to identify elements of the landscape, thanks to the augmented reality of Skyline.
It is available for both Android and iOS.
6. Rías Baixas RA
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XOIA Software Development has developed Rías Baixas RA, a free application of augmented reality with the aim of highlighting the entire heritage of the province of Pontevedra. Its presentation took place in the FITUR Fair in 2017.
Available for iOS and Android devices, it shows 3D models of the most representative monuments and landscapes of the area for which you will need the travel notebook.
You can download it for free to avail the most exciting advantages of this app.
7. AR City
AR City is a fascinating application to guide you in a city you do not know very well. It is another one of the creations of experts in augmented reality, Blippar. This time, they have developed an application that helps you navigate the urban environment, indicating which road you should follow, the names of the streets and the most outstanding places, all in the form of a mind-blowing app!
8. Horizon Explorer
Another application that offers a similar experience is Horizon Explorer, which uses augmented reality to offer you the latitude, distance, and altitude of any site you point to with your phone. It also offers the names of streets, rivers, roads and other sites of interest. On top of that is a 3D map that will help you in your orientation.
9. Guideo
It is a pioneer application for mobile devices in the inclusion of augmented reality at the service of tourism. When you access a Guideo route, your position will appear on the map of the city, fully geolocated, and the route of the selected tour will be displayed.
By pressing the 3D button and activating the camera of your device, you can focus on a specific point of the place where you are and contemplate on the reality that surrounds you, a monument that no longer exists, historical or mythological characters, traditional scenes, definitive, a whole host of possibilities with everything you can imagine.
Also, Guideo offers locutions about the stories related to the place where the user is. These narrations are complemented by texts, images, and videos that have been considered of interest to make the narrated story more attractive.
As a pioneering element, you will find that just by pressing a button of the application, you can start a trip to another reality.
10. Wikitude World Browser
This augmented reality platform allows us to discover what is around us using only the camera of the mobile. You can locate all events, restaurants, or registered stores near you and understand how to get there. Therefore, it is a pretty handy app to have in your smartphone when traveling.
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Conclusion
As is evident, Augmented Reality has come a long way, and downloading any of these apps can help enhance your travels significantly.