Since January 15, the Manitoba Museum has been offering the Aira Explorer visual interpretation service free of charge. Thanks to this technology, blind or visually impaired visitors can now explore the galleries in real time with the help of professional interpreters, thus enhancing their independence during their visit.
An easy immersion experience for art enthusiasts
In December 2025, a group of testers toured the museum spaces to assess the effectiveness of the application.
Among them was Cheyenne Smith, a regular at the venue. A user of the service for four months, he had already been able to try the tool at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
For this art enthusiast, the app radically changes the visiting experience. ” I come because I want to be independent. I’m very happy that there’s an app that describes the artworks to me in real time
,” he says.
Beyond the cultural description, the application supports him in his travels.
How does Aira Explorer work ?
The system relies on human interaction available at all times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In practice, the user entrusts their vision to a remote agent via a live connection where the interpreter uses the mobile phone camera to see and hear the visitor’s environment.
This technology is distinguished by its great versatility, since the agent can describe a complex work of art as well as guide the user to practical services, such as toilets.
Finally, simplicity is at the heart of the system: no training is required, as you simply need to install the application and activate it to be immediately put in contact with a representative.
The success of this initiative is based on the expertise of Peter Tonge, director of Peter Tonge Consulting , who facilitated the implementation of the project.
He specifies that his teams collaborated with the company Aira Explorer on behalf of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Manitoba Museum.
Peter Tonge explains that he purchased a specific package that allows the entire building to be included in what is called a geocache, a system based on geopositioning technology.GPS.
A project supported by the province
This technological shift was made possible thanks to the Manitoba Accessibility Fund. According to a provincial spokesperson, the Museum received a grant of up to $41,800.
Natalie Marion, visitor experience manager, points out that the service’s coverage is extensive, as users can request the assistance of an interpreter in the museum galleries and beyond.
Finally, Natalie Marion clarifies that, although the application mainly operates in English, it is possible for visitors to request a French-speaking agent, although this option is not guaranteed at all times.