AI Meets History – Interactive Avatars in Augmented Reality for Events, Trade Shows, and Brand Experiences
Dr. Rainer Seßner (Bayern Innovativ), Natalia Daniltseva (Visoric), the interactive avatar of King Maximilian II of Bavaria, Ulrich Buckenlei (Visoric), and Tobias Gotthardt (Bavarian Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs) at the anniversary event on July 29, 2025, at the Future Museum Nuremberg. The AI-powered avatar was conceived, designed, and programmed by Visoric.
Photo: Bayern Innovativ / Visoric GmbH
Why AI Avatars Captivate Audiences
What if visitors at an event or museum could speak with a historical figure – unscripted, spontaneous, and authentic? This question was at the heart of a project implemented by the Visoric expert team from Munich in collaboration with Bayern Innovativ.
On July 30, 2025, an avatar of King Maximilian I of Bavaria was presented at the Nuremberg Future Museum. Guests could ask him questions directly and receive real-time answers, with facial expressions, gestures, and speech perfectly synchronized. This became possible by combining generative language AI with augmented reality technology.
The reactions were overwhelming. Guests stopped, stepped closer, and started engaging in conversation with the avatar. This whitepaper explains how such installations work, which technologies are used, and why they offer tremendous potential for events, trade shows, and brand communication.
AR Mirror: The Avatar’s Stage
The avatar appears in what is known as an AR mirror, also called a holo-box. It is a high-resolution display with a transparent front that makes the digital figure appear as if it is standing in the room. Visitors do not need glasses or any additional devices – they can see the avatar with the naked eye.
The AR mirror combines several technological components:
- High-resolution displays and optical systems: Make the figure appear lifelike and three-dimensional.
- Motion detection and tracking: Establish eye contact and trigger interaction.
- Microphones and speakers: Clearly capture questions and play back answers audibly.
This physical presence effect is crucial. A life-size avatar that directly addresses guests draws immediate attention. Studies show that interactive displays engage people significantly longer than traditional posters or videos.
AR mirror with life-size avatar
Visualization: Visoric GmbH
Artificial Intelligence as the Avatar’s Brain
The core of the system is generative language AI, a learning language model similar to well-known large language models (LLMs). This technology enables real-time, authentic dialogue:
- Guest questions are captured by speech recognition and converted into text.
- The AI model interprets the query, accesses a defined knowledge base, and generates an appropriate answer.
- The answer is converted into a natural voice using modern text-to-speech technology.
- Simultaneously, the system animates the avatar – lip movements, facial expressions, and gestures are synchronized.
For the King Maximilian avatar, additional personality parameters were defined: polite, curious, and technology-interested. This created a believable persona that informed guests while evoking emotional engagement.
Where Interactive Avatars Deliver Real Value
The applications of such avatar mirrors are diverse:
- Trade shows and product presentations: Avatars proactively approach guests, explain products, and answer FAQs.
- Museums and education: Historical figures, artists, or scientists convey knowledge interactively.
- Corporate spaces and showrooms: Virtual hosts welcome visitors, communicate brand values, and explain complex topics.
- Public spaces: Avatars can serve as information or service points, for example, in train stations or airports.
The key value lies in the combination of high attention, emotional storytelling, and personalized interactions. Guests feel directly addressed and remain engaged with the brand or institution longer.
Interactive installations for events and brands
Illustration: Visoric GmbH
Infographic: How an Avatar Mirror Works
This chapter explains an infographic that illustrates the entire process step by step:
- Step 1: Visitor detection: The avatar senses a guest standing in front of the display and greets them.
- Step 2: Speech recognition: Questions are captured and converted to text so the AI can understand them.
- Step 3: AI dialogue system: The language model generates a contextually accurate answer and adapts it to the avatar’s style.
- Step 4: Animation and speech: The answer is delivered with a realistic computer-generated voice.
- Step 5: Interactive loop: Guests can ask follow-up questions. The avatar remembers the context and continues the conversation.
Infographic: How the Avatar Mirror Works
Infographic: Visoric GmbH
Video: The Technology in Action
Accompanying this whitepaper is a video showing the avatar mirror in action. It captures guests conversing with King Maximilian, how realistic the facial expressions and speech appear, and how seamlessly the technology operates during events.
The video makes it clear that the avatar mirror is not just a technical demo but a communication tool that evokes emotion and leaves a lasting impression.
King Maximilian Avatar in live dialogue with guests
Video source: Visoric GmbH (Narration: Ulrich Buckenlei)
The Visoric Expert Team from Munich
The project with Bayern Innovativ demonstrates how the Visoric expert team from Munich makes innovative technologies accessible for events, trade shows, and branded experiences. Our team combines expertise in concept design, 3D visualization, artificial intelligence, AR/XR development, and event technology.
We support companies and institutions not only in the technical implementation but also in early-stage consulting and ideation. From selecting the right hardware to final staging, we guide the entire process.
If you want to enrich your next event or brand experience with interactive technology and AI-powered experiences, feel free to contact us. We will show you how to make your topic engaging with innovative solutions – understandable, scalable, and sustainably impressive.
Contact Persons:
Ulrich Buckenlei (Creative Director)
Mobile: +49 152 53532871
Email: ulrich.buckenlei@visoric.com
Nataliya Daniltseva (Project Manager)
Mobile: +49 176 72805705
Email: nataliya.daniltseva@visoric.com
Address:
VISORIC GmbH
Bayerstraße 13
D-80335 Munich
