Canada’s History Coming to Ottawa in Augmented Reality
Pokemon Go won’t be the only augmented reality game that’s drawing Canadians to Parliament Hill.
The federal government wants to bring Canada’s past into the future with augmented reality, tapping Burnaby’s Motive.io to build location-based, AR experiences in the nation’s capital.
The AR startup will work with Canadian Heritage to transform the country’s history, stories and cultural heritage into 3D experiences for Ottawa visitors. Using Motive.io’s platform, the federal department can build an AR game that uses a smartphone’s camera to interact with virtual items connected to real-world locations.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Canadian Heritage. Their eagerness to leverage new technologies to bring history to life and create engaging experiences has been fantastic,” said Motive.io CEO Ryan Chapman in a release.
Motive.io has landed the $482,000 contract through the Build in Canada Innovation Program whereby the federal government tests innovations spun out by early-stage companies. Chapman said the program is a great example of how the government can proactively grow a Canadian technology business.
“Through the Build in Canada Innovation Program, our government is supporting companies like Motive.io by testing their innovations in a real-life setting and providing important feedback to help them get their products to market faster,” said Carla Qualtrough, the federal minister of public services and procurement.
The government has awarded 270 contracts totalling $120 million under the Build in Canada Innovation Program. The program has invested $14 million into 35 B.C.-based startups.
