People walking around the centre of Plymouth this summer are being given a futuristic glimpse of the city's past.
The University of Plymouth and The Box have joined forces for an augmented reality project that enables residents and visitors to unlock a series of heritage films from the British Film Institute archive featuring Plymouth's post-war reconstruction.
Passers-by are able to use a smartphone to scan QR codes displayed in five city centre locations, gaining access to archive footage played out in the setting where it was captured.
The AR/Chive project, which will run until the end of September, is centred on Plymouth's Civic Conservation Area, which stretches from Royal Parade to Hoe Park.
A person scanning a QR code on one of the AR/chive project boards
The area represents one of the country's most iconic examples of reconstruction following the Second World War, with much of it having been devastated by the Blitz of Plymouth in 1941.
The first of the QR codes is located on a sign outside the Guildhall and links through to archival film footage of a Royal visit to the city captured in 1941.
Other footage features the bombed out Minster Church of St Andrew, an 'Alice in Wonderland' style film created to mark the opening of the Civic Centre in 1962, and other iconic city centre developments including Theatre Royal Plymouth and Dingles.
The project is a joint venture between The Box and the University's MA Smart Urban Futures programme, which encourages students to address design challenges at the boundaries between smart technologies and urban design and planning.
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