Take a walk in augmented reality: new feature of Discover Moscow app

Discover Moscow mobile app users can now view data on neighbouring sights in augmented reality, as updated app has this feature now.

'With AR technology, Discover Moscow app users can easily get information about the sites nearby. No need to search for a description of a building, find its address, or set a route. All you have to do is just point your smartphone camera at the objects around you and read the information on the screen. You can also go to a web page about a particular site to learn more about it or listen to an audio guide,' said Sergei Shakryl, culture and tourism IT project officer of the Moscow Department of Information Technology.

To use AR, you have to log in the Discover Moscow app, choose AR in the main menu and allow the app to access the camera. You can also do this by opening a map on the app's home page and clicking the AR icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.

After switching to AR mode, the smartphone camera turns on. As you get closer to the sites, the screen displays signs with their names and the distance to cover. These are houses, museums, monuments, historical territories, as well as route points and quest locations in a 150 m radius.

If you come close to the point of one of the portal routes, the app will offer to take it and show the starting point of your walk. During the route, a user can see both tour points on the smartphone screen and the neighbouring sites, with pointers of different colours.

Discover Moscow mobile app is available in the App Store or Google Play. The service map shows sites near you. The mobile app has recently been updated. Now users can make personal lists of buildings, monuments and routes, filter objects by architectural style or year of construction, and view personal statistics.

Discover Moscow is a joint project of the Department of Education and Science, the Cultural Heritage Department, the Department of Culture and the Department of Information Technology. 

Interactive guides to Moscow landmarks have descriptions of 1,900 buildings and facilities, 634 monuments, 322 museums, 194 territories, information about 207 historical figures and 102 themed walking routes. In addition to the mobile app, you can use Discover Moscow portal.

Recently, 12 online quests related to Moscow museums have appeared on the website and in the Discover Moscow app. The project launched last December. The first quest was made for the State Biological Museum. It has 10 questions about the history of the estate the Museum is located in, and about the chief exhibits. The Museum of Cosmonautics, Darwin Museum, Bulgakov Museum, and other exhibition venues have joined the project.