Captivating museum visitors with cost effective immersive experiences
Services Provided
- Concept
- Ideation
- Animation
- Lens Studio Development
Credits
Animation: Mark Reisch
Development: Tim Stringer
Situation
Enhancing visitor engagement with the natural world is central to the mission of The Wild Center, which is the #1 Ranked Science Museum in the US according to USA Today. They sought an innovative way to create an interactive, emotional connection that would deepen visitors’ engagement with nature—without significant, ongoing costs or major structural changes to their facilities.
Unfortunately, traditional exhibit upgrades can be costly, and physical interactive displays often require both upfront costs and frequent maintenance. This makes it challenging for museums to stay both cost-effective and engaging, especially when it comes to conveying the beauty and excitement of wildlife up close.
Solution
Optic Sky stepped in to help The Wild Center solve this problem by implementing a creative, augmented reality (AR) experience that required zero upfront hardware expenses, zero ongoing maintenance costs, and enhanced the existing infrastructure without extensive modifications.
By scanning an actual eagle’s nest on the Wild Walk using Lidar technology, and then animating 21 seconds of realistic eagle behavior, Optic Sky created a convincing and immersive augmented reality eagle that visitors can interact with via their smartphone cameras. Optic Sky’s innovative use of custom landmarkers seamlessly integrated the virtual eagle into the real-world environment, creating new experiences from existing infrastructure.
Results
With over 128,000 long plays and nearly 2,000 on-site interactions in just two months, the AR experience is achieving a remarkable level of engagement. Not only is it a cost-effective solution, but it also promotes conservation discussions among visitors, bridging technology and nature to create a meaningful learning experience. Lastly, it encourages visitors to capture and share the experience to their social followers, thereby growing The Wild Center’s digital reach.
By offering a virtual eagle experience that sparks curiosity and interactivity, The Wild Center fosters a deeper emotional bond between visitors and nature, enhancing both the museum’s impact and the visitor’s journey toward conservation.
Cost-Effective Engagement
Zero upfront hardware expenses and no ongoing maintenance costs.
Enhanced Interactivity:
An immersive, realistic eagle interaction via smartphones, deepening visitor engagement.
Memorable Visitor Experience
Seamlessly blends the virtual eagle into natural surroundings, creating an emotional connection with wildlife.
Infrastructure-Friendly
Enhances the existing setup without significant modifications.
High Visitor Engagement
Over 128,000 long plays and nearly 2,000 on-site interactions within the first two months.
Educational Impact:
Sparks discussions about eagle conservation and aligns with the mission of connecting people to nature.
LEARN MORE: How to Achieve Zoo + Aquarium ROI with Social Augmented Reality (AR)
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To learn more about how augmented reality can enhance your visitor experience, book a free strategy call today with Tim, our Digital Experience Supervisor.
