Digital Heroes – the latest educational project of the New Technology Division of the Institute of National Remembrance
Talk to witnesses to history. Ask the heroes about their accomplishments. Uncover the secrets of history with the help of modern technologies. Explore new possibilities in historical education through tools created by the IPN’s New Technology Division. Visit the Central History Point in Warsaw and meet the Digital Heroes. The project premieres on 14 April.
What does the Digital Heroes project entail?
The Digital Heroes educational project is the latest initiative from the IPN’s New Technology Division, designed to meet the expectations of young people regarding how knowledge is shared. By combining new technologies, including artificial intelligence, with the educational value of the Institute of National Remembrance’s resources, a new way of learning about history has been created. This approach inspires young people to engage with historical education, helping them acquire knowledge more effectively and fostering positive associations with history, learning, and lessons.
The project premieres on 14 April
The ceremonial premiere of the latest educational project from the New Technology Division of the Institute of National Remembrance will take place at the Central History Point at 107 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw, at 9:30 a.m.
The project will be accessible to all visitors to the New Technology Zone at the Central History Point. Entrance is free. We cordially invite you to explore the potential of using new technologies in historical education.
Visit the Central History Point
What are the Digital Heroes?
This innovative initiative consists of three sections. The heart of the project – the avatars – beats at the Central History Point at 107 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw. This is where you can talk to the Digital Heroes. In addition, after you have scanned the QR code, the characters will present themselves on your smartphone in the form of augmented reality (AR) and you will also see them in short videos published on the Institute of National Remembrance’s social media profiles – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
The Digital Heroes, i.e. Jan Zumbach, Jan Kowalewski, and Wojtek the Bear, whom you will meet in the New Technology Zone of the Central History Point, are avatars generated on Unreal Engine 5 using a powerful PC unit and displayed on a TV screen. Each of them is a realistic 3D model capable of moving, gesturing, and answering various questions from visitors. The characters’ speech is handled by an original dialogue engine supported by machine learning using 11labs.
Each avatar is based on an artificial intelligence module that had historical resources obtained from the archives of the Institute of National Remembrance uploaded into its memory. This ensures that the answer provided will always be truthful. The project provides educational value by integrating digital technology with historical learning.
Learn more about the Digital Heroes
How to use avatars at the Central History Point?
To see and talk to the avatars of the heroes, all you need to do is:
- register your visit to the New Technology Zone at the Central History Point – whether you’re coming with a school group, family, friends, or individually;
- arrive on time for your immersive history lesson;
- approach the Digital Heroes station and start the conversation.
That’s all it takes to take part in immersive historical education and meet the Digital Heroes.
How to use avatars?
The stand is user-friendly, and the staff in the New Technology Zone are always available to assist you. Simply approach the stand, take the microphone and tablet, then press and hold the space bar on the tablet to ask a question into the microphone. Once you’ve asked your question, release the space bar. After a brief moment, the selected character will respond.
If you prefer to ask your question in writing, that’s perfectly fine! Just press enter on your tablet keyboard, type your question, and press enter again.
Whether the question is asked verbally or in writing, the avatar will respond aloud, and a transcript of the answer will appear on the screen, allowing you to both hear and read the response.
If you can’t think of any questions, don’t worry. Hints will appear on the screen to guide you on what to ask the character. This allows the conversation to continue for as long as you like. You can start and end it at any time.
Learn more about the Digital Heroes
Follow the Institute of National Remembrance on social media to discover more about the accomplishments of the heroes
The Digital Heroes project is not just about avatars at the Central History Point – it also includes videos full of historical trivia shared on the IPN’s social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
We invite you to follow our latest posts and watch films featuring our heroes to deepen your understanding of Poland’s recent history.
The Digital Heroes premieres on 14 April
The ceremonial presentation of the latest educational project from the New Technology Division of the Institute of National Remembrance will take place at the Central History Point at 107 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw on 14 April at 9:30 a.m. The Digital Heroes will become a regular feature available to all visitors of the New Technology Zone.
We encourage you to explore the possibilities that new technologies offer in the teaching of history.