Ideum created 3 exhibits for the Dueling Dinosaurs exhibition at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which opened in May 2024. 2 of the exhibits were interactive touchscreen apps connected to an online backend. I lead the software team responsible for the Appearance and CT Scan Interactives, and Directus CMS backend. I developed the CT Scan software and worked on the Triceratops shader for the Appearance Interactive.
This app used a 5k Reader Rail touchscreen, DMX spotlights, a MIDI-controlled DJ laser, and a 32” holographic display from Looking Glass Factory to simulate CT scanning a physical replica of a Thescelosaurus skull. As the scan progresses, a 3D holographic version of the skull appears in sync with the laser beam. Once complete, visitors use touch gestures and ui sliders to explore, colorize, and explode the different bones in the skull, ultimately trying to locate its inner ear. After locating the inner ear, they compare it to living animals like a bobcat, barn owl, and alligator like a paleontologist would to understand how that dinosaur might’ve heard its environment. Finally, visitors compare 2 audio tracks and illustrations demonstrating the different frequency ranges between humans and the Thescelosaurus. An audio reactive visualizer animates with the sounds on the holographic display.
The app is integrated with an online Directus CMS backend. Since the app can be viewed in English / Spanish, the UI translations are stored on the CMS and pulled by the app on startup, allowing the museum to make light content edits. Visitor analytics such as session length, number of backtracks, primary language used, and other specific app metrics are tracked in the Unity app and submitted to the CMS at the end of each session or timeout.
For more information about this project, please visit:
Diving into the Digital Past: Ideum’s 3D Displays at Dueling Dinosaurs
Press:
‘Dueling Dinosaurs:’ One-of-a-kind dig at Raleigh science museum (wral.com)
North Carolina’s Newest Dinosaur Exhibit (youtube.com)
Dueling Dinosaurs: The Coolest Dinosaur Experience on the East Coast – YouTube
