9/11 Memorial Uses Augmented
Reality to Mark 20th Anniversary

A tech startup has recreated scenes from 9/11 in augmented reality using an app that overlays images from historic events on the present-day locations where they happened. The result is a spellbinding video in which the New Yorkers of September 11, 2001 cross paths with the New Yorkers of today.

“Augmented reality allows us to uncover and explore the invisible history that surrounds us in everyday life,” said inventor and ReplayAR Founder Jay Huddy. “As the 20th anniversary of September 11th approaches, we felt this was an ideal way to memorialize those who were lost and to remember the brave heroes who sacrificed their lives trying to save others.”

AR scenes from 9/11 were placed in and around Lower Manhattan using the free ReplayAR app on an iPhone 11. This was carried out on foot, one image at a time, by ReplayAR Co-Founder Brandon Martin, who also used the app to make a video of the AR experiences he created.

“It’s surreal to walk in the footsteps of history,” said Martin. “I showed the video to a friend who was there on 9/11. He told me it brought him right back to the moment when he looked up and saw the first plane hit the Twin Towers.”

ReplayAR offers anyone with a mobile device the ability to preserve their personal memories in the form of augmented reality photographs at any location. Huddy hopes to see the technology adopted by museums, walking tours and cultural landmarks focused on historical preservation.

“AR photography allows us to explore images from 9/11 at the intersection of where and when,” said Huddy. “We hope that by using augmented reality to contextualize the past, we can honor and preserve the stories of those who came before us, and truly never forget.”