More than 30 million people visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum every year.
In an effort to bring the collection to an audience who can’t make it to the museum, Smithsonian is tying up with Intel to offer an immersive experience at the comfort of their homes.
With Intel’s cutting-edge virtual reality technology, Smithsonian will digitize the museum’s masterpieces and offer a 3D viewing experience to its audience. In short, Intel’s VR will enable people to access Smithsonian collections, research, and educational resources remotely.
Users can experience 3D access to collections from Smithsonian and its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, starting with the exhibition, “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man.”
Intel has always been keen on expanding its VR portfolio. Last year, Achin Bhowmik, vice president and general manager of the Perceptual Computing Group at Intel Corporation, said that for “a VR device to create fully immersive experiences, it must blend the real-world elements into the virtual world, and enable natural interactions with the digital content.”
With the introduction of VR at Smithsonian, Intel did just that.
The company is now working on technologies that will enable people “to build, solve, create and play in a world where the barrier is diminished between the physical and virtual worlds.”
John Bonini, vice president and general manager, VR, Gaming & Esports at Intel Corporation, said Intel’s new VR technology strives to engage users by creating computing experiences that users can interact with. “As the technology evolves, immersive museum experiences will become the norm. Bridging physical and digital worlds to study American art in classrooms around the globe is just a first step in exploring what is possible when we combine the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s passion for education with Intel’s innovation,” he said in a press statement.
For Intel, VR isn’t just great for gaming and entertainment. The company is also focusing on VR business solutions.
Earlier this year, the company opened Intel Studios at Los Angeles, which is aimed at creating content focused on VR, augmented reality, and 3D visuals.
Get ready! We’re here at #VRLA18 ready to show off the latest tech. Stop by our booth this weekend, or check out https://t.co/WCRpPPzwEa for more information! #VR pic.twitter.com/aQu3ooJRtK
— Intel (@intel) May 4, 2018
According to a report by Variety , the new facility features the world’s largest stage for volumetric video capture.
