Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor at The Franklin Institute invites you to take a journey through one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history: the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi, First Emperor of China, who was buried in Xi’an, China in 210 BCE.  This Augmented Reality (AR) application gets you up close to the ancient terracotta statues, armed with bronze weapons from the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi.

Experience AR During Your Visit to The Franklin Institute 

First download the FREE mobile app at www.fi.edu/mobile. Sign on to the free Franklin Institute Guest wi-fi network in the museum or use your own network.

  • STEP ONE: Select Terracotta Warriors Exhibition Augmented Reality on the app home screen to get started. On the next screen, click Launch AR to launch the interactive experience.
  • STEP TWO: Select PICTURE or STATUE scan mode. In Picture Scan mode, hold your phone up to the black and white symbol next to each warrior. In Statute Scan mode, hold your phone up the statue to see them holding their weapons.
  • STEP THREE: Select a warrior statute. Use the arrows to scroll through and select the warrior statute you want to explore. Hold your phone’s camera up to the statute in the direction seen in the image.
  • STEP FOUR: Click on the yellow icons to explore the warriors and weapons. Clicking on the yellow dots will launch a 3D warrior, and you can move away and continue to explore. Touch and pinch the screen to turn and zoom.
  • STEP FIVE: Share! Click on the camera icon to take a screenshot and share it in email or on social media.

Experience AR Beyond The Franklin Institute 

  • To experience augmented reality (AR) outside The Franklin Institute, you’ll need a smartphone (iPhone or Android) and the free Terracotta Warriors Exhibition Augmented Reality (AR) app.  You can get the app from the iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store. 
  • Install and open the app on your smartphone, then select Mobile Warrior: Create Your Own Army from the app home screen.  You can build an army of terracotta warriors wherever you are — at The Franklin Institute or around the world.
  • Angle your phone’s camera and position the grid on any surface. Tap a hexagon icon at the bottom of the app to add warriors to your photo. You can add models of the High-Ranking General, the Armored Infantryman, and the Kneeling Archer to your scene.  Tap “Clear” to remove warriors from your scene. Tap “Reset” to choose a new surface to position warriors on.Tap the back arrow to exit Mobile Warrior and return to the app home screen.
  • Tap the Camera icon to take a screenshot, and share on social media. Screenshots will automatically be saved to your phone’s photo library. 

Source: https://www.fi.edu/how-to-experience-terracotta-warriors-augmented-reality