The University of Waikato has worked with Hamilton Gardens staff to develop the Android app that provides information about the history and design of the themed gardens. The app can be downloaded from the Google Play store. It’s the work of staff from the Faculty of Computer Science, led by Associate Professor Annika Hinze.

The app contains images and text and is triggered as users move into the different garden spaces. When users enter a themed garden the app notifies them that information on the garden is available through an audio signal, and visitors can either read the information on their phones or listen to an audio version. An iOS app is under development and garden staff say the next logical step would be to be able to listen to the commentary in other languages.