As part of the redevelopment and rebranding of the Miami Science Museum to the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science in Miami, a massive near-2 million litre Gulf Stream Tank Aquarium was built as its new centrepiece.
To compliment this massive feat of construction, as well as to educate visitors on how the Gulf Stream impacts the marine world, we were commissioned to design and construct a large-scale audio visual interactive wall and floor projection that pushes the boundaries of augmented reality in museums. The 18-metre environment which represents the powerful, warm ocean current that runs off the coast of Florida and exposes visitors to aspects of the narratives of the stream such as its influence on the food chain and fish schooling behaviours.
Visitors to the exhibit can influence the ultra-high definition flow environment in real time thanks to camera tracking sensors making the experience akin to a safari or scuba dive. As they walk through the virtual Gulf Stream, visitors are exposed to three-dimensional animations elusive and seldom seen creatures of those waters, including those not typically kept in an aquarium. We also designed the display in such a way as to encourage museum visitors to move through a transition area in the right direction to continue their journey.