Seven Score And 17 Years After Lincoln Gave His Iconic Address At Gettysburg, Augmented Reality Lets Him Give It Anywhere

American Battlefield Trust's Gettysburg AR Experience app lets users digitally interact with historic events

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Nov 17, 2020, 10:14 ET

GETTYSBURG, Pa., Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of visitors to the Gettysburg Battlefield over the past 157 years have sought to imagine exactly what the terrible struggle that unfolded there in 1863 would have looked like to eyewitnesses. Now, thanks to the American Battlefield Trust, the Gettysburg AR Experience digitally inserts animated versions of historical events into the user's environment, letting a digital Lincoln deliver his Gettysburg Address from the comfort of your home.

Scenes included in the Gettysburg AR Experience include both combat action and the battle's aftermath.

"The American Battlefield Trust is committed to finding ways for 21st century innovations to breathe life into events and personalities from the 18th and 19th centuries," said organization president David Duncan. "A decade ago, we pioneered this unique type of place-based education with our first Battle App® guides, and now we are pushing the envelope again with augmented reality."

The Trust is the nation's premier battlefield land preservation organization and a leader in place-based history education and interpretation, welcoming millions of students to enjoy its content and providing direct support to many thousands of classroom teachers in 2020 alone.

The Gettysburg AR Experience is now available for free download on both iOS and Android devices. Lumina Datamatics produced the app's audio and visual renderings — 3D animations and interactive objects and characters — while Interactive Knowledge built the app, which will expand with additional interactive scenes. Key funding was provided by the HTR Foundation, the Trust's most indispensably generous supporter over the last 30 years.

This initial package is designed for use anywhere, but a planned spring expansion will enhance the experience when in Gettysburg, scanning and virtually inserting animations onto the correct geographic setting. For example, when standing near the Angle where Pickett's Charge reached its climax, users will see the staggering scale of that assault and be prompted to interact with Lt. Alonzo Cushing, still commanding his cannons despite a mortal wound.

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America's hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 53,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

SOURCE American Battlefield Trust