Augmented reality map could change how tourists and locals experience Dublin city

Long gone are the times when those coming into Dublin would grab a map at the tourist information point and solely rely on it to sightsee and discover the city. Smartphones have put paid to that arcane pursuit.

As part of its Smart Dublin programme, Dublin City Council (DCC) has launched DiscovAR Dublin, an augmented reality map that can be accessed through the already existing Dublin Discovery Trails app.

App users will be able to open a 3D map of the city on their device and explore it from anywhere in the world. By interacting with video and audio elements, tourists and locals alike can learn more about 11 selected locations, including the Guinness Storehouse, the EPIC museum, the Book of Kells and the Hugh Lane Gallery.

The map has been created by blending data from Google Maps with 3D technologies and is the result of a partnership between DCC and Google Ireland.

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Jamie Cudden, Smart Dublin programme manager, explained how “having Google on the doorstep” is key for bringing such innovative projects to fruition. The idea for DiscovAR Dublin came up when DCC was working with the company on the Dublin Discovery Trails app, he said.

“We just thought about how we could use all this technology to enhance the experience of our city,” he said. “Augmented reality could be used for anything, from emergency management to community engagement, but from a tourism point of view, what blew us away was that people could get to know Dublin and engage with its attractions from anywhere in the world.

“The name can sound a bit corny,” said Mr Cudden, laughing. “But I think it works.”

Along with physical maps, the app is intended to replace travel guidebooks. “You can pinpoint locations you want to see, jump in and have a look at the areas you’re interested in before visiting,” explained Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Daithí de Róiste. “It’s an absolute no-brainer. Dublin is at the cutting edge of tourism technology.”

Many other cities in the world make apps and smart services available for tourists but the Lord Mayor said Dublin is the first one to implement the experience through augmented reality.

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“This is a big day for Dublin and for tourism in Ireland,” he said. “It’s a collection of stakeholders coming together and putting their best foot forward for Dublin.”

Paddy Flynn, vice-president of Geo Data Operations at Google Ireland, has worked with the Smart Dublin team on several local projects and believes such enhanced tourism experiences can be brought to the rest of Ireland. “It could be available wherever you have 3D data. It’s up to the cities how they want to use these tools to possibly showcase their environment.”

A DiscovAR Dublin treasure hunt in the city, which users can engage with through the Discovery Trails app, will be launched through Virgin Media in two weeks, with a weekend trip to Dublin being the main prize for the augmented reality winner.