‘Augmented reality’ look at D-Day coming to Air Force Museum

An “augmented reality” exploration of the Allied D-Day invasion of France in World War II is coming to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

In partnership with French technology company Histovery, the Air Force Museum Foundation will open the interactive augmented reality exhibit titled “D-Day: Freedom from Above,” May 13 in the museum’s second building.

The U.S. premiere, which opens at 9 a.m. that day, has been made possible in association with the French Airborne Museum of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, in Normandy, France.

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The 3,500-square-foot exhibit will focus on the D-Day missions of the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first French town to be liberated on June 6, 1944, the museum said in an announcement Wednesday.

“Using tablets that are part of Histovery’s proprietary HistoPad Augmented Visit solution, museum visitors will experience the reality of the D-Day airborne mission in an up close and personal way never possible before,” the museum said.

“HistoPad” allows visitors to manipulate 3-D virtual images, explore airplane interiors, virtually operate and manipulate full 360-degree views of equipment, compare scenes today to how they appeared in 1944, view unpublished photographs and extracts of archival films and more, the announcement said.

Beginning May 13 and continuing through the end of the year, HistoPad tablets will be available for exhibit visitors to rent through the Air Force Museum Foundation for $5 each.

Visitors should allow for about 40 minutes for the entire experience.

For more information, visit https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Events/D-Day-75th-Anniversary/.

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