By Jacqueline Tang

Last week I visited ROM’s latest and largest exhibit on dinosaurs – Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana. The exhibit features a range of dinosaur skeletons from the Southern Hemisphere, some of which have never been on display in Canada until now.

Accompanying these skeletons are several low-tech interactives such as rubbing stations for the younger audience to high-tech interactive such as group video game-like stations and iPads programmed for augmented reality. Users simply swivel and direct the iPad to any part of the dinosaur skeleton and it will come to life in flesh. A mobile app can also be downloaded prior to your visit for more augmented reality opportunities inside and outside the Museum.

Overall, the exhibition was quite successful. The modes of display were effective and catered to audiences young and old. The augmented reality was very popular for all visitors, and added a new dimension to a relatively static exhibit of skeletons and specimens – to be able to see how prehistoric dinosaurs moved and behaved in skin was a neat thing to see.