Telefónica showcases augmented and mixed reality in Segovia

Spanish telco Telefónica has teamed up with the city of Segovia. Natoural Digital Solutions and Samsung to showcase a virtual tourism experience based on 5G and augmented and mixed reality technology.

The presentation in Segovia, part of the Ciudades Tecnológicas 5G project, taps into augmented and mixed reality to offer a virtual tourism experience that places the visitor in scenes of centuries past and real-life present scenarios, according to the telco.

The demo features a tour designed to transport visitors to the era of the Catholic Monarchs – Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile – in the 15^thCentury, tapping an app developed by Natoural Digital Solutions and accessible via smartphones and tablets as well as Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality glasses.

The tour features a number of stops at historic sites where animated content is presented in 3D with characters imitating marionettes in homage to the city’s link to this art form.

The content taps into technology behind online games that incorporates artificial vision, motion tracking and spatial awareness.

Telefónica said that in the future, this type of experience would be available in tourist centres thanks to new 4.9G and 5G network capability.