CSIRO Murchison Observatory – AR Telescope App
This iOS app offers an immersive AR experience, allowing users to view and interact with the antennas from the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. Simply point your device to a flat surface, and the telescopic antennas will appear, ready to explore and scale in full detail.
The Client
Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, situated on Wajarri Yamaji Country, is a world-class research facility housing numerous international telescopes. As a leader in cutting-edge astronomy, the observatory sought to engage the public by offering a mobile app that would bring its impressive antennas to life through augmented reality, allowing users to explore these structures in a highly interactive and immersive way.
The Challenge
Creating the AR antenna visualisation app for the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory presented a range of challenges. The key goal was to accurately bring the observatory’s antennas into augmented reality, allowing users to place, view, and interact with these massive structures in a real-world setting. Achieving this required the app to reliably detect flat surfaces and position the antennas with precision.
On top of this, ensuring the scientific accuracy of the antenna models while delivering an easy-to-use interface was essential. The app’s scale feature needed to function smoothly, allowing users to explore the antennas in both scaled-down and full-size views. Balancing technical accuracy with a seamless and accessible user experience across multiple devices made this project particularly challenging.
Our Solution
To bring the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory’s antennas into the hands of users, we developed a native iOS app that utilised augmented reality to showcase the observatory’s impressive technology. The objective was to create an engaging and easy-to-use app that allowed users to view and interact with the antennas in their own environment. Working closely with the observatory team, we meticulously created accurate 3D models of three telescope antennas. Each model was carefully designed to reflect the antennas’ true dimensions and features.
The app allows users to place these antennas on any flat surface by positioning their device and following simple prompts. To enhance the experience, we integrated a scale function, enabling users to shrink or expand the antennas to their full size. The result was an immersive, interactive AR experience that brought the observatory’s antennas to life.
By combining advanced 3D modelling with a seamless user interface, we provided an innovative way for the public to explore the observatory’s groundbreaking technology. This solution not only met the client’s needs but also set a new benchmark for how AR can be used to engage users with complex scientific projects. We’re proud of the outcome and look forward to applying these AR-driven approaches to future projects.
Developed a native iOS app with augmented reality to showcase the antennas from the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory.
Created precise 3D models of three telescope antennas, capturing their true dimensions and features.
Enabled users to place the antennas in their real-world environment by detecting flat surfaces with their device’s camera.
Integrated a scale function, allowing users to resize the antennas to either shrink or expand them to full size.
Provided an innovative AR solution that boosted public engagement with the observatory’s cutting-edge scientific work.
Delivered a user-friendly and intuitive interface that made advanced technology accessible to everyone.
Project Team
Tim
Jenny 
Scott
Jamie
Client Testimonial
3D Walkabout did an exceptional job with the iOS mobile app for the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory. Their innovative approach to bringing the telescopes' antennas to life in an interactive and engaging way has been invaluable for showcasing the observatory’s advanced technology. We’re extremely pleased with the result and look forward to working with them again.
