HQS Wellington
Recreating the Atlantic Convoy as an educational experience in Augmented Reality
Copper Candle recently embarked on an exciting venture to bring history to life aboard the HQS Wellington, a distinguished ship moored on the River Thames by Waterloo Bridge. With a rich history as the HMS Wellington, which played a pivotal role in the Atlantic convoys during the Second World War, this project aimed to captivate and educate children about the ship's significant contributions to history. In collaboration with our partners at Figment Productions, we developed an augmented reality experience that delves into the past, offering a unique educational tool that transcends traditional learning methods.
Our innovative approach led to the creation of two immersive experiences. The first is a virtual reality journey placed within the wheelhouse of the ship. Here, children are given the opportunity to 'steer' the vessel, utilizing the original ship's wheel and telegraph system. As they navigate, a virtual world unfolds outside the windows, depicting the Atlantic convoy in vivid detail, allowing the young participants to step back in time and assume the role of sailors on a critical mission during the war.
The second experience takes place in the original engine room, which, over the years, has been transformed into an event space. With the use of holographic technology, we meticulously recreated the ship's original engines to scale, providing an educational presentation that explores the engineering marvels powering the HMS Wellington. This holographic experience not only highlights the technological advancements of the time but also offers a hands-on learning experience about the ship's engineering systems, making history tangible and engaging for a younger audience.
Together, these augmented reality experiences on the HQS Wellington serve not just as a tribute to the ship's storied past but also as a testament to the power of technology in education. By blending historical content with cutting-edge augmented reality, Copper Candle and Figment Productions have created a dynamic educational tool that invites children to explore and understand the significant role of the HQS Wellington in world history, all while engaging with the past in an interactive and immersive way.
