You might have heard the big news: The Washington Post announced the beginning of its augmented reality journey. Powered by Wikitude, the renowned American daily newspaper launched an interactive AR series to creatively engage readers and transform storytelling.

The AR-enhanced series, initially planned to be divided into six installments, allows readers to explore first-hand some of the world’s most iconic buildings. But how?

The first story revolves around Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg’s world famous concert hall known for its refined acoustic capabilities. Users of the Washington Post Classic iPhone app now have the ability to experience, from the comfort of their own home, what it’s like to gaze upon the highly advanced acoustic panels in action.

When users point their phone at their ceiling, an animated projection of the acoustic panel layout is prompted to demonstrate how its impeccable sound is absorbed, transmitted, reflected and ultimately produced. A chance to “see what perfect sound looks like” – in the Post’s own words.

To create this experience, The Washington Post utilized Wikitude’s SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), launched earlier this year with SDK 6. This technology enables any Android or iOS device, including smart glasses, to instantly track the user’s environment and layer interactive AR content into the real world without the need for markers.

The Washington Post’s head of product, Joey Marburger, is confident they are on the right track – “We think [AR will] be more widely adopted — you can really see it bubbling up — and we wanted to be at the forefront of that so by the time it takes off, we’re really good storytellers there”.

Learn more about The Washington Post’s new AR series in the original article, and get started with Wikitude’s SLAM technology today.