A new version of the Clio app uses augmented reality, allowing users to pan their smartphone across the landscape to see historic photos and click on them to learn more.
What is Clio?
Clio, named after the mythological Greek muse of history, is both an educational website and mobile application that allows users to experience guided tours of local landmarks, actively displaying information about objects and locations as it goes.
Being used at nearly 160 universities across the US and having acquired roughly a thousand completed guided tours, Clio’s pool of information is constantly being updated with publicly sourced information.
How does the new augmented reality feature work?
Using the phone’s camera in real time, the app now makes use of augmented reality to deliver historical information about the user’s community to them. Upon accessing the app’s beta features, users will be able to pan around and witness thumbnails pop up on their screen, which they can then press to access further information.
The program is the product of David Trowbridge, an associate professor of history at Marshall University, and his close friend David Wingfield, the main developer of the program. Trowbridge compared it to the popular mobile game Pokemon Go, saying the experience was the “Pokemon of history.”
“I’ve been thinking of how to make use of this technology in a practical way for several years,” said Trowbridge. “Often times when this kind of technology is used, we just adopt it without thinking if we really should.”
Are there any additional features?
Additionally, Clio can now provide guided directions toward landmarks and selected areas, displaying arrows that point the user in the direction of the destination. These directions can either be street-by-street, or can simply point them in the straight direction of the destination.
Alongside this feature came an option for visually impaired users, increasing the size of the arrows by a substantial degree to help guide them on their path. Trowbridge said he was inspired by the difficulty some faced while attempting to track the marker on Google maps.
How much does it cost and is the new feature available on both Android and iOS?
The update for Clio’s mobile app was specifically released for IOS users, and will not currently be available for other devices. Despite this, a version for Android is already in development.
Being a nonprofit program and completely free to use, Clio is funded by public donors, as well as donations from the National Council on the Humanities, of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
More information about Clio, its available services and how someone can submit information to its datascape can be found at the program’s website, theclio.com
