STURMTIGER AR TANK EXPERIENCE
In a partnership with the WARGAMING.NET, the Bovington Tank Museum in England was able to roll an ultra-rare WWII tank into their museum with the help of Gravity Jack and their flagship technology, Augmented Reality. To make this happen, museum visitors put on a Microsoft HoloLens AR headset to watch a realistic 3D replica of the Sturmtiger tank roll through the wall of the museum and park itself right next to actual tanks within the museum. Additionally, the AR experience gave users a virtual look inside the interior cabin of the famed tank. To simulate the power that the Sturmtiger possessed back in the early 1900’s, the AR tank showcased a series of animations — one of which included a launch sequence that fired missiles within the user’s environment.
To reach the maximum number of museum visitors, Gravity Jack developed a companion app using Google’s Project Tango software. This allowed those who didn’t wear the HoloLens headset the ability to pick up a tablet and experience all of the same AR content. As the 3D tank went through its animations, users were able to move the AR headset or tablet and follow the action as if it were actually happening right in front of them! The creation of the Sturmtiger AR application enabled the museum to bring a celebrated piece of history to life in an engaging and educational way!
Client
- WARGAMING.NET
- Bovington Tank Museum
Platforms
- Microsoft HoloLens
- Google’s Project Tango
SERVICES
Augmented Reality
Place digital experiences within a real-world environment
HoloLens Development
Microsoft’s AR-enabled smart glasses
3D Development
Realistic 3D artwork that can be viewed from any angle
Custom Animations
Movements and actions that bring 3D artwork to life
Custom Software
Code development specific to the project’s needs
Language Localization
Provide a specific language based on the user’s selection
THE GRAVITY JACK PROCESS
Since the project was being featured in another country, Gravity Jack formulated a game plan to execute the project that catered to a variety of different time zones. Additionally, Gravity Jack worked closely with the client to ensure that each and every aspect of the tank and its movements matched that of the actual Sturmtiger tank that fought in WWII. Gravity Jack did this through:
TIMELINE STAGES
USER STORIES
Puts us in the shoes of a potential user to make informed decisions about the functionality and flow of the project.
WIREFRAMES
The blueprints of a project that put the design and development teams on the same page prior the development
UI DESIGN
Integrating branding, style guides, and more to give the project cohesive look and feel
DEVELOPMENT
Development begins with the architecture of the project with integration tests help verify that all software is written based on the project requirements
QUALITY ASSURANCE
A test plan is created where the project is tested at each development milestone and again multiple times upon competition to ensure a seamless experience
LAUNCH
Working alongside the client, a process is established to launch the project based on the intended audience. The code is then packaged up and provided to the client!
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
For this project, Gravity Jack showcased that no matter the size or age of the object, it can be brought to life for all to enjoy through technology. With the aid of augmented reality, Gravity Jack developed an experience that transported what is an incredibly rare tank to see in person in the Sturmtiger, directly to England’s Bovington Tank Museum. To make this happen, the Gravity Jack 3D and animation team worked closely with the Tank Museum to ensure every detail of the Sturmtiger down to the nuts and bolts was identical to the tank that fought in WWII.
Wanting to provide a hands-free AR environment for the client, Gravity Jack developed the experience for the Microsoft HoloLens. Within the AR experience users would watch as:
- The Sturmtiger rolled through a portal in the museum’s wall and park itself next to actual tanks inside the museum
- The 3D model opened up where they could see the interior of the tank — including the cockpit
- The tank would go through a series of lively animations which featured a realistic launch sequence of the tank’s missiles
To cater to a large and diverse crowd, the project was home to several different languages which included, but were not limited to English, Japanese, and Russian. Additionally, Gravity Jack utilized Google’s Project Tango software (Tango was Google’s AR software before ARCore came along). This allowed users to grab a mobile device stationed at the museum and see the AR experience without wearing the HoloLens. Due to the large success of this project, WARGAMING.NET partnered with Gravity Jack on a different app that allowed users to battle with historic military equipment.
3D DEVELOPMENT
Referencing material provided by the client, the Gravity Jack 3D and animation team ensured that every detail of the exterior, interior, or launch sequence of the Sturmtiger was realistic to that of the one which fought in WWII.
3D Development
Realistic 3D artwork that can be viewed from any angle
LANDSCAPE MOBILE DESIGNS
Gravity Jack put an emphasis on encouraging users to experience the content in landscape mode. While in landscape mode, users were able to see more of the tank and its animations within the AR scene.
Mobile Design
Complimentary mobile designs that are compatible with numerous mobile devices and browsers
FINAL DELIVERY
Not being able to physically have the Sturmtiger tank present at the Bovington Tank Museum, Gravity Jack was able to recreate a highly realistic 3D model and corresponding animations for the museum.
The Goal
Educate visitors of the Bovington Tank Museum about the Sturmtiger tank museum in an engaging way without actually having the tank on site.
Gravity Jack’s Solution
Have a realistic version of the famed WWII tank roll into the museum using augmented reality while also providing insight into the interior of the tank and its launch sequence during war.
The Result
An app that leverages the HoloLens and Project Tango platforms which allowed the Bovington Tank Museum to bring an incredibly rare WWII tank to life within their Museum — something that wouldn’t otherwise be possible without the assistance of augmented reality!
