Two years ago, our world was in a different place. We all knew about the upcoming Artemis trip to the moon and felt excited about how space was becoming a focal point of discovery. When I visited the Centre, I quickly realized that it could benefit from a spark of modern technology so I suggested an Augmented Reality activation in the space. The project ran under Space Centre's liaison Christina Panis and was successfully funded by Creative BC representing a welcomed upgrade to the existing structure.
Cosmic AR
The HR MacMillan Space Centre is housed in Vancouver BC and is home to an exhibit that features physical displays like cosmonaut suits, moon rocks space models and a library of space imagery. We proposed a project using augmented reality to extend the life of the exhibits by adding layers of story and data-based information on top of specific exhibits. Below are images of the sun and the earth featuring various scenes upon which data is both imagined and revealed. The AR will be activated through a QR code that will be available to both android and Iphone.
We have already had two user-testing nights during Cosmic Nights at the Centre featuring our space app. User testing allows us to pin point areas of potential flaws that require further attention. So far, with the help of many friends and enthusiastic participants, we have gathered relevant information that will continue to help us reach our goals. Thank you to everyone who came out!
The story of our solar system begins both in the cosmos and in the spaces between our hearts and minds. As space shapes us, we in turn shape our understanding of it by projecting our humanity onto the cosmos.
When we merge hard data, physics, and observable facts with cultural creation and imagination, we birth stories of space, visions of the future, music that resonates with the cosmos, and narratives that shape our understanding of where we come from. In doing so, we engage with the ways the universe, through its scientific forces shape our world and guide our movement within it.
ex. We ride giant tidal waves pulled by the moon’s gravity and call it surfing, we use gravity to hold sky diving competitions and we write ancestral stories and fables that explain the birth of the universe. Every action we take becomes an expression of awe and wonder, and a dialogue with the forces that touch every aspect of our lives.
As of April 2026, the AR platform has been completed. Special THANKS and gratitude to Creative BC for funding this venture and to Director Lorraine Lowe for championing this project at the HR MacMillan Space Centre. Thank you for joining us on this journey and please try it out if you are visiting Vancouver, Canada.
