State-of-the-art planetarium and a cutting-edge aquarium
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, is affectionately known as FMOS museum in Miami, USA. Opened in 2017, it is one of the only institutions in the world that has both a state-of-the-art planetarium and a cutting-edge aquarium. FMOS is a 250 000-square-foot facility with exhibitions spanning six levels housing a telescope for stargazing and an urban garden.
Supply and deliver two exhibits
Interactive developers Formula D Interactive of Cape Town won the project to supply and deliver two exhibits within the museum that was under construction. Joining forces with Digital Fabric for the design, supply and implementation of the hardware, the team engaged the client project team to refine the concepts.
This included a full-size sectional mock-up in South Africa to confirm performance and user experience, resolution, and tracking accuracy. The result was a fully projected curved wall measuring 18m x 3m and tracked with IR based camera system, allowing visitors to engage with ocean creatures that are typically found in the Gulf Stream eco-system. The tracking meant that visitors would be approached and sometimes followed by these near life size animals, or conversely that shoals of smaller fish would scatter upon approach.
Embedded audio transducers
Multichannel, localised audio was delivered via embedded audio transducers throughout the wall.
A second area named River of Grass took children on a journey through the Everglades, using projection onto three walls and the floor. IR tracking was again used to track not only the children’s movements, but to sense props such as an oversized torch used in the night scene.
Digital Fabric and Formula D delivered a programmed, working system in Miami in time for the museum’s much anticipated opening, working closely with the organisation to train and equip the museum staff to operate and maintain both systems in conjunction with the remote access functionality from South Africa.