World Premiere: INDE's Air, Land and Sea AR Experience Arrives at the Toronto Zoo

INDE and National Geographic bring award-winning Augmented Reality world to the Toronto Zoo.

INDE's Air, Land and Sea Augmented Reality (AR) experience, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society, will bring wild animals closer to visitors at the world famous Toronto Zoo. The new, permanent installation is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of people every year when it opens on June 27, 2015. The Air, Land & Sea experience has been brought to life with National Geographic’s spectacular photography, all displayed in photo-real 3D.

A dynamic watering hole serves as the centerpiece for Air, Land & Sea, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with a diverse range of animals from Africa to the Arctic as they graze, drink and interact with the environment around them. The system will also feature INDE’s SnapShare module allowing anyone who has taken part in this great adventure to immediately share their picture and video snapshots through social media channels. 

Speaking of the collaboration: “We have come to realise that what we are building is a new way to educate people about history, about the natural world, about everything they ever dreamt of experiencing but never could," said Alex Poulson, INDE's CEO. "It’s about recreating situations and environments that train, educate, inform and entertain by experiencing them first-hand. It’s about democratising exploration and using it to educate in the greatest way imaginable. We’re very proud to do this alongside National Geographic.”

Our CEO Alex with Toronto Zoo CEO John Tracogna and Abby Bysshe from National Geographic at the opening ceremony

On behalf of the National Geographic Society, Abigail Bysshe, Director of Museum Partnerships said: "National Geographic was first introduced to INDE's Broadcast AR work four years ago with the system they installed in Hungary for our Channel partner. There was so much buzz around their work, I knew that we had to develop an experience that could not only work as a stand-alone system, but pair well with our photography exhibitions. Air, Land, and Sea really brings National Geographic to life allowing the public to experience our brand in a whole new way. The world debut installation at the Toronto Zoo is a perfect example of the possibility of this kind of experience. The Zoo has used the highly interactive Broadcast AR in combination with National Geographic's stunning photography to highlight the work it is doing to ensure the ongoing survival of the worlds' most vulnerable species."

INDE, National Geographic and Toronto Zoo - what do we have in common?

INDE has created the most realistic 3D animals ever made using AR technology, giving visitors the chance to pet a leopard, walk around with penguins, get splashed by an orca in hundreds of locations worldwide through some truly amazing custom made and licensed experiences. These systems are just a perfect match for museums, exhibits and attractions such as theme parks and zoos - that's how the three of us come together so nicely, complementing each other and resulting in a mind-blowing mix of experiences.

National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organisation driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. It funds hundreds of research and conservation projects around the globe each year. With the support of members and donors, they work to inspire, illuminate and teach through scientific expeditions, award-winning journalism, education initiatives and more. Yes, that is another thing in common, as education is one of the main areas INDE's products fit in perfectly.

Canada’s premier zoo, the Toronto Zoo is a leader in conservation, scientific research and innovative educational programs. It has over 5000 animals representing around 500 species seen by 1.3 million visitors annually. One of the Zoo’s core values is innovation: they encourage creativity, strive to think differently and turn ideas into actions - that also sounds 100% INDE, doesn't it?