Augmented Reality Facilitating Visual Literacy for Engagement with Science in Museums

Visual literacy has not been a common topic in natural history museums. The visitor experience in those institutions is nonetheless object centred and a more visually connection could lead to stronger emotional experiences that promote lasting memories and the construction of meanings. Visual communication has also a universal character, which is of relevance in international environments like museums, where visitors present an array of backgrounds, motivations and disabilities. Augmented Reality, a promising technology in the rise of visitors' engagement, can offer strong visual interpretive experiences and is being used for the renovation of a Victorian-age skeleton exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The Osteology Hall augmented reality app will perform with real time tracking and object recognition to enable the visualization of the animals' unique anatomical features and the roles they play in the environment, to motivate learning, and increase the enjoyment and memorableness of the experience.