The "Home Beyond Earth" exhibit launched at the Museum of Flight in June 2024, offering visitors a groundbreaking experience to explore the concept of living and working in space stations orbiting Earth. From historical concepts to today's advancements, the exhibit showcases a realistic look at humanity's potential beyond our planet.
With its interactive technology and a focus on education, "Home Beyond Earth" aimed to disrupt the traditional museum model. It wasn't about abstract sci-fi ideas but about immersing visitors in what's real today and possible tomorrow. However, to achieve this vision, the museum team needed tools to make complex concepts accessible, engaging, and relatable to a broad audience.
Translating the intricacies of space science into something a casual visitor could engage with was a significant hurdle. The exhibit had to educate without overwhelming, striking the right balance between entertainment and information.
From science enthusiasts to families with young kids, the audience was as varied as it gets. The team needed a strategy to capture everyone's attention while making each visitor feel personally connected to the exhibition.
The Museum of Flight wanted the flexibility to quickly adapt to real visitor feedback. They had learned during past projects that rigid design could alienate visitors. This time, they needed an approach that allowed ongoing adjustments.
A key innovation of the "Home Beyond Earth" exhibit was using five digital waypoints powered by Intuiface. Each waypoint was carefully designed to enhance the visitor's immersion and personalize the experience. Here's how they worked and contributed to the exhibit's success:
At this first station, visitors created a digital passport to accompany them on their exhibit journey. By entering their name and selecting an avatar, guests gave a personal touch to the interactive experience that followed. These passports contained an RFID chip, which enabled data transfer from waypoint to waypoint as visitors progressed through the exhibit. This step also set the stage for a sense of ownership and connection to the narrative.
Here, visitors faced a pivotal question: Which type of orbital space station would they call home? With options reflecting different designs and functions, this waypoint invited participants to imagine themselves in a futuristic habitat. The selection process was both educational and playful, helping individuals explore the possibilities of engineering and design in space.
The third station enabled visitors to picture themselves participating in space station operations by selecting a job. From engineers and scientists to community coordinators, each role highlighted a unique skill set required for a thriving space station. The waypoint cleverly showcased the diversity of expertise needed for humanity's potential future beyond Earth.
After answering a brief quiz, visitors could identify their preferred cultural values aboard a space station. This station encouraged people to think about the social fabric of a long-term space community. Whether their choices leaned toward innovation, sustainability, or collaboration, it pushed visitors to consider the human element of living in space.
The exhibit's final station was its most engaging. It tied all visitor choices together into a collective display. By scanning their passport, guests saw their names, avatars, and selections projected onto a giant 43-inch screen and integrated into a shared "Museum Space Station" roster. They could also explore aggregated visitor data, comparing their choices with others in real time. This step reinforced personal connection and showcased the dynamic interplay of individual and collective imagination.
The centerpiece of "Home Beyond Earth" was its waypoint system, revolutionizing how exhibits create engagement. From creating passports to joining a shared digital community, each station invited visitors to actively contribute to the story unfolding around them.
Before the exhibit launched, the Museum relied on usability testing to refine the experience. Employing University of Washington communication students as paid consultants, the team ran real-world tests during "First Free Thursday" events. These tests allowed the team to tweak the exhibit in real-time, addressing everything from flow issues to content adjustments.
The RFID-equipped passports had to interact with sensors at each waypoint to read visitor selections and then provide those selections when required. From conception to execution, these passports had to function effortlessly despite the absence of onside software developers.
A standout feature of the final waypoint was its ability to be published online, allowing the exhibit to extend beyond its physical space. Visitors could see their contributions become part of the larger "Museum of Flight Space Station" in real-time, accessible through any web browser. This online functionality enabled both attendees and remote users to explore the collected data, fostering a sense of connection and collaboration on a global scale.
Developing with Intuiface meant faster timelines, even when integrating sophisticated features. The team could adapt to feedback from usability testing without needing a complete overhaul, ensuring the exhibit launched on schedule.
With Intuiface, hardware integrations like those with RFID sensors from Nexmosphere worked flawlessly. Visitors experienced effortless interactions, from scanning their passports to seeing data visually displayed on large touchscreens.
Intuiface's ability to collect user data from waypoint selections served a dual purpose. First, it enriched each visitor's experience by enabling the group perspective presented at the final waypoint. Second, it gave the Museum insights to streamline the exhibit before launch and shape future exhibits' structure and function, driving ongoing improvement.
Intuiface supports the deployment of in-venue experiences to the web, extending their reach beyond physical locations. With just a couple of button clicks, visuals and data from the fifth waypoint became accessible on the museum's website. This encourages new visitors to explore the museum and rewards those who have already participated by providing continued access to the content.
The exhibit became one of the Museum of Flight's most popular attractions, marked by unprecedented visitor interaction. Attendees weren't just observing; they were part of the story.
For the first time, dedicated people counters tracked metrics like visitor numbers and group sizes. These insights validated the exhibit's design and demonstrated its draw.
The success of usability testing and flexibility with Intuiface has set a precedent for how the Museum approaches new projects. Whether permanent or temporary, future exhibits will follow this visitor-first approach.
Even after the "Home Beyond Earth" exhibit concludes, parts of it will live on. The interactive kiosks and digital tools may be integrated into the Museum's permanent collection, ensuring its impact continues.
The story of "Home Beyond Earth" is one of possibility—not just for life in space but for how museums use technology to connect with visitors. The Museum of Flight is reinventing storytelling by using tools like Intuiface to combine education, curiosity, and fun.
This isn't just a success story; it's an invitation. For organizations thinking about their next big idea, the question isn't, can you do something groundbreaking. The question is, why wait?
With the right tools, the future can be yours to create.
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