A screen shot taken from Google's new Cultural Institute App
Photo: Google via Tech Crunch
Stuck at home this holiday season while your friends travel the world's museums? Despair not. The Google Cultural Institute has announced plans to develop an app, allowing users to explore some of the world's best museums right from their smartphones.
Thus far, 11 museums and cultural institutions have partnered with Google to showcase their collections, including the Museum of Arts et Métiers, MAO, GAM, Palazzo Madama, Musee Curie, Museum of Le Havre, Monnaie de Paris, MAGA, and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden.
The new mobile app utilizes Google's indoor street view technology to offer users 360-degree tours, so they can virtually view the museum's exhibitions from anywhere in the world.
The app also features extensive information for museum visitors such as descriptions, photos, and audio tours. The information is also available offline for travelers abroad without internet.
In a video, Google Cultural Institute's Product Manager, Robert Tansley explained “The Google Cultural Institute works with museums and cultural institutions around the world to find new ways to reach people with cultural content."
He added, “I hope that this app will allow more and more museums to tell more and more amazing stories and reach more people than ever."