Belfast City Council has awarded £100,000 contracts to three companies developing immersive technology to support local tourism, with the companies working alongside regional tourism partners on concepts that inspire locals and visitors to tell “their Belfast story”. As part of Augment the City, an 18-month programme led by Belfast City Council’s City Innovation Office, over the next six months the companies’ concepts will be turned into prototypes to be trialled in real-world settings.
Hamilton Robson’s Belfast Stories Generator, a collaboration with 1Up Studios and Nerve Centre is an AI-powered interview and holographic interface designed to spark natural conversations around Belfast stories. Liquid City’s Amergin, meanwhile, is a simple story tool with an AI interviewer that can aid storytelling on a mobile device.
The third concept is artist Ekaterina Solomatina’s Memory Fractal Belfast, which uses a mixed reality experience to share personal and cultural memories from lesser-heard voices in the city’s communities.
The High Sheriff of Belfast, councillor Fiona McAteer, said: “We’re a nation of storytellers. Building on this strength, Augment the City is encouraging innovators to explore how our tourism experiences can revolutionise how we share this aspect of our lives with others.
“I’m particularly excited about the potential of immersive tech to help lesser-heard communities shape the content of new attractions.
“It’s our goal that Belfast Stories our landmark visitor experience, public space and creative hub which is expected to open by 2030, will incorporate these types of innovations to make it a global destination.”
