A Detroit museum is set to premiere a mobile tour that uses Google Tango to provide visitors with the opportunity to experience the museum through the smartphone AR technology.

The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will premiere the mobile tour, called Lumin, on 25 January for its guests. The AR experience will enable ‘the user to interact with real size 3D animations, information and display directions in the visitor’s field of view’ through a Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Visitors will be provided with contextual information and, at some stops, games relating to the pieces.

“Lumin connects visitors with artworks in a global context beyond the DIA,” said Salvador Salort-Pons, DIA director. “Augmented reality allows the user to see the unseen, imagine art in its original setting and understand how objects were used and experienced in people’s everyday lives. It is an exciting way to incorporate the latest technology into the visitor experience.”

The experience, created by DIA’s interpretive team, leverages GuidiGo’s AR platform, AR Composer – built specifically for Tango. The initial phase of the project includes seven tour stops with a variety of AR experiences, including an x-ray view of inside a mummys skeleton and a digital reconstruction of the gates of ancient Babylon.

Just last week, BMW announced, in partnership with Accenture, the use of Tango to enable customers to explore their ideal BMW i3 or i8 models through the BMW I Visualiser app.