Deep Sea
An interactive exhibit about the animals living in the deep sea.
Skills
ProtoPie, Arduino, UI Design, Exhibition Design, Interdisciplinary Communication, Prototyping
Methods used
1:1 Prototyping, mini Design Sprint, Crazy 8, Expert Interview, Target Group
Team
Laura Meloni, Jannes Blobel
Supervision
Marc Guntow, Jens Döring
Duration
Mar. 2022 - Jul. 2022
Category
University Project
The idea
Ever since my first dive into the ocean, I've been captivated by its beauty and mystery. The deep sea, in particular, has always fascinated and intrigued me with its bizarre and unique creatures thriving under immense pressure. When we learned that the Natural History Museum of Stuttgart was collaborating with our university for this project, we knew exactly where to focus our attention.
What we did
Research
We started by exploring the deep sea, quickly discovering that information was limited due to the challenging nature of the environment. We gathered valuable insights from academic papers and museum curators.
Sketch
With our research complete, we brainstormed concepts for a full-scale prototype. We aimed to immerse visitors in the experience of "diving into the ocean" and sketched various methods to achieve this feeling while still providing valuable information.
Build
We then moved on to constructing the 1:1 prototype, overcoming challenges with custom-built components and creative solutions. The final working prototype was successfully showcased at our university exhibition.
Where we ended up
Our exhibit features a blend of analog and digital components, creating a comprehensive and interactive experience.
The reef
The exhibit structure was crafted from four MDF wooden plates, layered into shape with a multi-touch screen embedded behind it. The screen served as the primary source of information and was one of the two main interaction points for users. Next to the porthole where the screen was placed, we installed a custom-built slider that allowed users to "dive" into the deep sea.
The screen
The screen was directly connected to the slider, and as users began their descent, the camera followed. Along the way, users encountered various marine animals, displayed at true-to-life scale. A simple tap on any creature would bring it into focus, revealing different points of interest. Each point provided fascinating facts about the animal.
The tech
We used a custom-built slider connected to our prototype via Arduino. This was made possible through ProtoPie Connect, which served as the interface for the values delivered by the slider and Arduino code. These values directly influenced the scroll position of our prototype, creating a seamless and interactive experience.
What I learned
This project deepened my appreciation for the power of prototyping. Building something tangible after months of conceptual work truly highlights the strengths and weaknesses of your ideas, making the process both challenging and rewarding. Additionally, this project taught me invaluable lessons in teamwork, team management, and effective communication, all of which contributed to the success of our exhibit.
Project insights
Some impressions of the project and progress.
