SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Partners with ARtGlass to Offer World’s First Aquarium Tour in Wearable Augmented Reality

ARtGlass software on Epson Moverio smart glasses immerses visitors in underwater magic

CONCORD, NC, USA, August 23, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With a splash, SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord today dove into the world of augmented reality (AR), enabling visitors to “sea” the lives of the aquarium’s inhabitants in immersive new ways. The project is the world’s first to offer AR tour content on smart glasses in an aquarium setting.

SEA LIFE’s owner, Merlin Entertainments, has partnered again with Richmond, Virginia-based ARtGlass, the global leader in AR touring software, to make new waves in the tourism world, as the companies did when premiering the first use of wearable AR in a wax museum, Madame Tussauds.

The AR adventure is enjoyed on site when visitors don cutting-edge transparent smart glasses, through which they can see, layered over their real-world views of sea animals, immersive digital magic that entertains and educates. For families with children under six, a second AR experience is available on tablets, so visitors of all ages can participate.

Guests are greeted by a beluga whale, “swim” with schools of clownfish, play a sea turtle rescue game, learn a dance called the stingray shuffle, and much more. The tour enhances, not replaces, the usual visitor experience – guests may take the glasses on and off at their own pace to enjoy the augmented and traditional display tanks.

Wearable AR is now the leading edge in touring technology for cultural attractions, as visitors can view experiences hands-free and heads-up with 3D and 360-degree visuals and surround audio that makes the user feel part of the action. Studies show that the immersive and interactive wearable tech provides intellectually and emotionally stimulating tours, which is helping sites differentiate their visitor experience in the competition for tourists hungry for something new.

The AR tour also expands the current SEA LIFE experience by showcasing sea creatures too large or rare to inhabit the facility and promotes conservation efforts by showcasing Merlin’s global efforts to protect endangered species.

“Our love for the ocean and its creatures goes beyond the exhibits,” said Erin McCarthy, General Manager of SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord. “This tour inspires everyone to help keep our oceans clean and healthy for our underwater friends.”

Beasley, a rescued sea turtle, and the aquarium’s latest star, makes his first appearance in AR. The experience also reveals hidden secrets about the other ‘FIN’tastic personalities in 117,000-gallon aquarium.

Millions of visitors have enjoyed AR experiences at nearing 100 iconic sites around the world, from the homes of America’s Founding Fathers to the ruins of Italy’s ancient Pompeii. The SEA LIFE project is the first of its kind in North Carolina, and the world’s first to tackle the complexity of augmenting the ever-fluid environment of a huge aquarium for all visitors. “We believe in AR for a purpose,” said Greg Werkheiser, ARtGlass Cofounder and CEO, “and we are delighted to help combine this compelling storytelling with a powerful call for conservation.”

ARtGlass’ AR experience-design software TourBuilder works across smart glasses models; at SEA LIFE the experience is deployed on Moverio^® smart glasses from ARtGlass’ frequent partner Epson. “We congratulate the visionaries at Merlin and SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord for the boldness of this project, and are thrilled to be part of another ARtGlass adventure,” said Remi Del Mar, senior product manager of Digital Experiences, AR and Commercial Display Solutions, Epson America, Inc.

The AR experience is available to the public beginning August 19, 2022 as part of the SEA LIFE Premium Ticket available for advance online purchase at https://www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord/ or onsite at the ticket counter at 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, North Carolina.

Contacts
Jeff Patterson
Marketing Manager
SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord
Jeff.Patterson@merlinentertainments.biz
704.770.5871

Greg Werkheiser
Cofounder and CEO
ARtGlass
Greg@artglassgroup.com
703.408.2002

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SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord Aquarium is home to North Carolina’s only 180 degrees Ocean Tunnel! Come face to fin with sharks and Neptune, the rescued sea turtle, touch a sticky anemone, and explore over 10 breathtaking exhibits. No flippers required. SEA LIFE is the world’s largest family of aquariums, proudly delivering amazing discoveries to more than 23 million people annually in over 50 locations across the world. From breathtaking underwater tunnels to incredible up-close encounters, guests can dive into the ocean world without getting wet. Visit https://www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord/.

ARtGlass has mastered the art of AR storytelling at cultural and historic sites, museums, entertainment venues and other attractions. The company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia with satellite offices in Milan, Italy, has helped clients thrill more than 4 million visitors to venues as diverse as fine art museums, presidential plantations, mountaintop castle ruins, World Heritage archaeological sites, product launches, and tradeshows. ARtGlass’ success is rooted in collaboration between leading tech experts, historians and cultural specialists, and entrepreneurs who focus on public engagement. Now, through TourBuilder, ARtGlass is empowering cultural sites and attractions to distinguish and enhance their visitor experience, to thrill new and returning guests, and to increase revenue. Visit www.artglassgroup.com.

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to co-creating sustainability and enriching communities by leveraging its efficient, compact, and precision technologies and digital technologies to connect people, things, and information. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson’s goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the worldwide Epson Group generates annual sales of around JPY 1 trillion. Visit www.epson.com.

Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe's number one and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin operates more than 140 attractions, 23 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 24 countries across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its employees. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz follow on Twitter @MerlinEntsNews.

Greg Werkheiser
ARtGlass
+1 703-408-2002
email us here

SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord ARtGlass Experience: ARAdventure: Dive Deeper