As a self-described “art history amateur,” Museas developer Miguel Garcia Gonzalez knows how transformative a day at a museum can be. “There’s so much educational opportunity behind art,” Gonzalez says. “It’s a way to understand the history of the world and different cultures.”
But for people with mobility disabilities or low vision, navigating a museum can be stressful, if not impossible. “A lot of older museums were not built for wheelchair users,” Gonzalez says. “And many museums are super crowded; it’s not possible to have a quiet or solitary experience.”
Take Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Virgin of the Rocks at the National Gallery in London, which sees hundreds of thousands of visitors each month. For people who have difficulty standing for prolonged periods or moving between exhibits, the museum experience can be physically demanding. Additionally, patrons with low vision may find it impossible to enjoy the work and read exhibit displays due to font size, placement, and overall lighting conditions.
Museas offers an alternative, showcasing the same work—plus hundreds more—with stunning realism and in a way that meets visitors where they are. And while Gonzalez is quick to point out that the digital version is no replacement for the real thing, Museas allows for encounters that might not otherwise be possible.
“With the app, you can take as long as you want to look at a work without having to worry about crowds or time constraints,” Gonzalez says. And it can be enjoyed “whether you’re standing, sitting, or lying on your bed.”
The prospect of an art history app first came to Gonzalez while he was traveling the world as a supply-chain manager a decade ago, when he’d often visit museums during his downtime. When Apple Vision Pro was announced in 2023, he felt technology had caught up to his idea.
“It’s difficult to appreciate a full-scale artwork on a small device like an iPhone,” he says. “But when Vision Pro was announced, I knew it was the right platform to put into reality what I envisioned Museas to be.”
Gonzalez taught himself to code for Vision Pro, building two apps before releasing Museas, which features exhibits spanning art history. There are works from painters like Kahlo, Hokusai, Monet, Van Gogh, and O’Keeffe, as well as ancient artifacts that you can place on the floor of your living room.
True to his original intent, Gonzalez ensured Museas is as inclusive as possible in how it educates people about the art on display. “The audio guide has consistently been one of the most enjoyed features,” he says.
Today, Museas supports seven languages for both its text and audio guides: English, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
The app also works with accessibility features built into visionOS. VoiceOver enables easier way-finding inside menus, while Voice Control and dictation help people use their voice alone to select buttons, enter text, and interact with visionOS. And Dwell Control lets users “tap” elements by resting their eyes on them for a customizable amount of time, offering an alternative to hand gestures.
One helpful feature when viewing art in Museas is Zoom. With it on, users can turn the Digital Crown to see fine details in a painting or sculpture without the need to physically move toward the art.
“It’s even more interactive than what you get in a real museum,” Gonzalez says. “It’s completely different from learning it in your textbook.”
