Arctic Adventure: Exploring with Technology

As global communities shake off the stasis of pandemic lockdowns, attention is rapidly turning to the growing impacts of perhaps the greatest challenge civilization has ever confronted: climate change. At this critical juncture–when society is searching for tools to transform ourselves from anxious spectators to hope-filled actors and champions in the campaign to understand and tackle the effects of climate change on our natural and designed environments–the Museum of Science, Boston and Moment Factory joined forces in 2021 to launch “Arctic Adventure: Exploring Through Technology.” An immersive, real-time experience, Arctic Adventure breaks the mold of permanent museum exhibitions and flirts with the rapidly-converging frontiers of the Metaverse. The gallery space is transformed into a believable three-dimensional ‘phygital’ Arctic world powered by real-time multimedia content and a Unity game engine. In this world, guests are empowered to assume the active mantle of Explorers and Researchers, not only to learn about the technologies used in Arctic research, but also to use them to traverse challenging landscapes and gather climate change data. Our leitmotif was “content exploded.” Achieved through the synchronization of sound, light, touch, vibration, and temperature, and interactions with IoT connected devices such as drones, hydrophones, ground-penetrating radar and ice core drills, visitors of all ages and abilities are empowered to explore climate change through experiential learning. Care was taken to seamlessly integrate hardware and controls into the scenographic design, keeping the environment as enthralling as possible. The sun rises and sets, weather patterns change, and animals migrate with the seasons. As one of the world's largest science centers and New England’s most attended cultural institution, the Museum of Science, Boston introduces 1.5 million visitors a year to science, technology, engineering, and math via dynamic programs and hundreds of interactive exhibits. As a leader in the world’s museum community, the institution uses its role as educator and communicator to bring diverse communities together to learn, share, and consider our collective role in the future of our planet. Arctic Adventure exhibit builds on Moment Factory’s and MOS’s commitment to inspire a lifelong love of science in everyone through multisensory and interactive experiences.