AN EXCITING interactive project is allowing nature lovers to see the famous salmon of the River Tyne up close-up and personal.

Hexhamtv news vlogger Peter Woods has used pioneering augmented reality (AR) technology to design the Hexham Salmon Experience, which allows people to scan a code on a new information board at Tyne Green to bring up virtual reality 3D images and news about the salmon.

The project, which requires people to download the Zappar App on their smartphones, was devised after Mr Woods was selected as one of the participants in the Great Exhibition of the North’s N18 Artist Development Programme.

He worked with fellow N18 artist Ali Elly to construct the design for the project.

The new exhibition board on the bank of the River Tyne, next to the boathouse on Tyne Green, contains information about the migration of the salmon, thanks to information supplied by the Tyne Rivers Trust and Kielder Salmon Hatchery.

Mr Woods said: “I believe we are on the cusp of a very big technological change. In a few years’ time, AR will be commonplace and we will be used to seeing information overlaid on the real world at school, at work and in our leisure time.

“I wanted to show the potential of augmented reality in public art and to show, through the digital civics aspect of the project, how AR can be used for social good and to help people better access public information they will find useful in their lives.

“The technology is changing fast, so it will get easier to develop innovative projects as a non-coder as things move on.”

Mr Wood hopes the code will become accessible online, extending the opportunity to experience his design to people from all corners of the world.