Puzzle rally with AR: An interactive time travel through Vienna

Looking to the future and thus to new technologies is crucial in cultural education. "The past is now": this is the motto under which ArchäoNOW in Vienna is offering its Augmented reality (AR) puzzle rally recently. Together with the developer team from VARS the archaeologists developed Vienna's first augmented reality tour.

"With augmented reality, we enhance your experiences in the real world with digital data in real time. In this project, we are using augmented reality to create a window to the past," says Franco Lanfur from VR AR Vienna, who programmed the new digital experience for ArchaeoNOW.

With the help of smartphones, long-lost buildings can be resurrected and inaccessible objects such as relics from St Stephen's Cathedral can go straight into your own hands. Although the Maria Magdalena Chapel burnt down in 1781, it has been virtually rebuilt and placed in its original size at its former location. The model is almost centimetre-perfect in its original position, while the Virgil Chapel opens up below it. Want to see through the floor? No problem with the AR app. Users can also learn how to examine a skull anthropologically - all through a virtual model, of course. In this way, originals can be experienced, but cannot be destroyed or damaged in the process.

An interactive map allows players to follow the clues and find the symbols they are looking for. The great thing about the puzzle rally is that working as a team brings different perspectives to the tour, making it easier to solve the puzzles and find clues. Above all, a close look is required. Clues and symbols are sometimes somewhat hidden. A personal guide is close by during the tour and can provide assistance if necessary.