{"id":3306,"date":"2019-11-16T01:31:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-16T01:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.tlsrv.net\/state-of-maine-virtual-reality-experiences\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T18:36:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T17:36:55","slug":"state-of-maine-virtual-reality-experiences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/state-of-maine-virtual-reality-experiences\/","title":{"rendered":"ThingLink Spotlight: State of Maine Created VR Tours for Schools and Libraries to Celebrate its Bicentennial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kristen Muszynski is the director of communications at the Department of the Secretary of State in Maine. Some time ago her colleague Tammy Marks, director of the Maine State Archives, started advocating for investing time and money in new technologies to showcase the archives\u2019 holdings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>&#8220;We heard about ThingLink at a special event at our cultural building at which new technologies for teaching students about history were on display. This gave us the idea to shoot images of notable Maine locations with our 360 camera and populate each shot with interesting facts and images from present day and history.&#8221;<\/p><cite>Kristen Muszynski, Director of Communications, Department of the Secretary of State in Maine<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Kristen spearheaded the project and started working with the state archives team to gather materials and edit them to create virtual tours that could be viewed as interactive virtual reality experiences. The result was three initial complete virtual tours of the Maine State House, Old Orchard Beach Pier and of Maine, and Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the beginning, the plan was to post the tours on the State Department website as well as travel around to schools and libraries with a VR kit to show the tours to students and their parents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, like all ThingLink virtual tours, they can just as easily be viewed on any mobile device, tablet or desktop &#8211; making them accessible to anyone, any time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"tl-cta-block\"><h3>Meet a product expert<\/h3><p>If you\u2019d like to learn more about what ThingLink can offer to your organisation, schedule an online meeting with one of our friendly product experts below.<\/p><button class=\"tl-button tl-button--white tl-button--small tl-cta-block__button\" data-link=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/andrew-6\/thinglinkdemo\">Meet an Expert<\/button><\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Explore the virtual tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Explore the tours in these three embeds by clicking on the arrow hotspots. For example, you can move inside the State House from the exterior in the tour below!<\/li><li>Click the magnifying glass to hear about features within each scene, and see detailed images of the feature.<\/li><li>You can also click the VR icon on the bottom right corner of the tour to begin viewing in a mobile VR headset.\u00a0<\/li><li>You can explore the entire series of linked tours by clicking on the two squares in the bottom right of each image &#8211; choose where you would like to go from the array along the bottom!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maine State House &#8211; VR EXPERIENCE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/mediacard\/1217500015191130119\" type=\"text\/html\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Old Orchard Beach Pier &#8211; VR EXPERIENCE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/mediacard\/1231269439232540679\" type=\"text\/html\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Penobscot Narrows Bridge &amp; Observatory &#8211; VR EXPERIENCE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/mediacard\/1238865147544469505\" type=\"text\/html\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"\" mozallowfullscreen=\"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Successful feedback from the first school tour<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The students from the Windsor Elementary School were the first ones to get an up-close view of some of Maine&#8217;s most prominent sites via VR.\u00a0The local TV channel<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wabi.tv\/video\/?vid=563812192\" target=\"_blank\"> WABI\/5<\/a> covered the event and captured students&#8217; reactions and feedback, which was so positive that the teachers requested their own VR headsets and phones so they can use this in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tours were so well received by school students and teachers that many further tours were subsequently created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn2.hubspot.net\/hubfs\/603436\/Screen%20Shot%202019-11-15%20at%205.09.29%20PM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-11-15 at 5.09.29 PM\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Photo credit: State of Maine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project is a great example of how new media technologies and public archives can be used to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Engage citizens to learn about a region and its history<\/li><li>Provide new resources for schools and libraries<\/li><li>Enable students to visit notable places without logistical costs of in person visits<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Inspired by these virtual tours?<\/strong> It&#8217;s easier than ever to create your own 360-degree tours!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/pano-to-360\" target=\"_blank\">Pano to 360 by ThingLink<\/a> is a new and completely free tool that lets anyone convert a panoramic photo taken on their mobile device (Android or iOS\/iPhone) and convert to a high-quality 360-degree image. No 360-degree camera or virtual tour software required! A super-simple tool and direct replacement for the now deprecated Google Street View camera app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"tl-cta-block\"><h3>Try Pano to 360 for yourself!<\/h3><p>Try for yourself and become a virtual tour creator in moments. Upload any panorama jpg or png then download the resulting photosphere to use in your new tour.<\/p><button class=\"tl-button tl-button--white tl-button--small tl-cta-block__button\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/pano-to-360\">pano to 360 by thinglink<\/button><\/section>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other uses for virtual tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>As well as educational uses, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/travel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">virtual tours are ideal for showing potential buyers or guests around a home or vacation property<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>They are also used by many universities and colleges for<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/campus-visit-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\"> virtual campus visits to increase admissions enquiries. <\/a><\/li><li>Or why not create a <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-creating-your-first-virtual-field-trip\/\" target=\"_blank\">virtual field trip for your students?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-virtual-exhibition-the-online-tool-used-by-worlds-leading-museums\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Creating a virtual exhibition, museum or gallery is easy with ThingLink<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Further reading on virtual tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/floor-plans-to-virtual-tours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adding floor plans and mini maps to your virtual tour<\/a>: an easy-to-follow walkthrough of the steps to add a navigational guide to your tour<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/thinglinks-new-smart-solution-for-360-real-estate-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">For realtors and other real estate professionals<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-virtual-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to create a virtual tour with ThingLink<\/a>: learn how to create transitions between rooms or spaces with this easy to follow tutorial<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/how-to-use-360-video-interactive-thinglink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Creating 360 video tours with ThingLink<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"tl-cta-block\"><h3>Start creating today<\/h3><p>Get started with a free ThingLink trial and see just how easy it is to create interactive visual media<\/p><button class=\"tl-button tl-button--white tl-button--small tl-cta-block__button\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/\">try thinglink for free<\/button><\/section>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For more great examples and inspiration, join our creative social media groups and communities:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/thinglink\" target=\"_blank\">ThingLink LinkedIn Page<\/a>\u00a0| <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/9054683\/\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn Community<\/a>\u00a0<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThingLink\" target=\"_blank\">X \/ Twitter ThingLink Page<\/a>\u00a0| <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThingLink_EDU\" target=\"_blank\">X \/ Twitter ThingLink Edu Page<\/a> | <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/i\/communities\/1670006007819280385\" target=\"_blank\">X \/ Twitter Creative Learning Design Community<\/a>\u00a0<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/ThingLinkEducation\" target=\"_blank\">ThingLink Education Facebook Group<\/a> | <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ThingLink\" target=\"_blank\">ThingLink Facebook Page\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thinglink\/\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram ThingLink<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span style=\"font-size: 18px; text-align: center;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kristen Muszynski is the director of communications at the Department of the Secretary of State in Maine. Some time ago her colleague Tammy Marks, director of the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8732,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[477,566,567,568],"tags":[156,316,238,401,216,289,270],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3306"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8736,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3306\/revisions\/8736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}