Making the magic happen at museums with immersive experiences

Museums make magic happen when they bring history and culture to life in the imagination of their visitors. For instance, they let us see the awe-inspiring size of a blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling at the British Natural History Museum, as if swimming in the air; or give us a chance to experience the wonder and beauty of being close-up to Michelangelo‘s Renaissance sculpture David at the Accademia Gallery of Florence.

However, these spectacles are rare and often scattered around the world, making them difficult for many to see. But advances in visual technology are rapidly changing this reality, meaning that museums can now use technology to enhance existing exhibits or to create an incredible new immersive experience.

Of course, bringing ancient artefacts and history to life in an immersive experience for visitors is not easy. Still, the latest projection technology has enabled museums, of any size and budget, to change how they exhibit.

Choosing the right projector technology to match the ambition and budget is important. Whether it’s creating an immersive experience for the main attraction or adding interest with digital signage.

To appeal to the latest generation of digital natives, the immersive experience also must be as life-like as possible. The newest projectors offer the most intense and realistic colours and 4K solutions show the finest levels of detail, without any visible pixels. This means that audiences can see exhibits as they were meant to be seen.

Selecting technology that does not break the illusion of the immersive experience for the visitor is also key. Museums are often in older buildings. So, the ability to use projector short throw lenses allows video to be projected onto surfaces that are difficult to map with any other technology. This also ensures visitors cannot inadvertently block the projected image.

In addition, the more compact the projectors, the easier they are to install and hide from the eyes of visitors. And, the quieter they run, the less intrusive they are on the overall impact of the experience.

Lastly, reliability and maintenance requirements are important considerations for museums. They can’t afford for their main attraction to go down. Choosing projectors with multi-drive laser light sources ensures the projector can still operate if there is a failure. Plus, features such as a fail-safe input system​ can ensure a switch to back-up without loss of image.