A Pale Blue Dot

5G Immersive & Interactive Science-Art Theater

Spec

40-minute interactive show
13mx7mx7m projection
LiDAR
infrared camera

Client

National Taiwan Science Education Center,
Taipei, Taiwan

Opening

Nov 2023

My Project Role

● Project Manager
● User Experience Researcher
● Game / Interactive Designer
● Scriptwriter

Designed and executed an immersive interactive show centered around biodiversity, featuring 3 distinct game levels and hosting up to 40 players simultaneously.
Curated and scripted an interactive show, merging game characters with real biological specimens from the museum's collection to craft a playful experience with tangible connections to the real world.
Led an 8-person team of professionals encompassing designers, engineers, and music designers, while effectively coordinating with museum authorities to complete the interactive exhibition development.
Leveraged 5G technology in conjunction with optical LiDAR and infrared cameras to enable children and adults to engage in game-triggering body interactions and immersive interactions with virtual creatures.

Project Overview

"A Pale Blue Dot" is a 40-minute immersive show focused on biodiversity, utilizing 5G tech, optical LiDAR, and infrared cameras. It allows both children and adults to explore and interact with virtual creatures in the theater.

The show consists of three distinct parts: "I: Sounds of Creatures", "II: Forms of Creatures" and "III: We are here" each providing immersive and interactive opportunities for players engaging with the natural world. The interactive experience places a strong emphasis on observing ecosystems, especially through listening and observing biodiversity.

Inspiration

The Pale Blue Dot

Inspired by Voyager 1's "The Pale Blue Dot" photo, our story begins with that tiny speck in the cosmos. This small blue dot, Earth, has ingeniously nurtured such a diverse and thriving world. Countless lives are born, migrate, reproduce, and eventually pass away. On this unique blue planet, humans' journey of exploration and understanding, much like Voyager 1's journey through space, is filled with unknowns and imagination.

Photo Source: NASA

Everything starts from a dot

Through various transformations of the "dot," the interactive show shifts perspectives from micro to macro, inviting audiences to explore and marvel at life's wonders. We hope that this science-art theatre will lead the audience to discover and appreciate the rich biodiversity on this blue dot we call home.

Interactive Design

Part I: Sounds of Creatures

Starting from a pale blue dot, the scene shifts from night to dawn. Audiences can interact by kicking virtual sensor dots on the ground, triggering various animal sounds, and exploring the sound of nature in the theater.

Part II: Forms of Creatures

Audiences can start at sensor dots on the ground, move, create shapes, and, through programming, generate matching silhouettes. They can also select different colors and patterns to create unique creatures.

Part III: We Are Here

The outro animation will transition from micro to macro, guiding the audience through the "dot" of life. As the camera zooms out, we'll rediscover Earth's complete view in the cosmos —— "a pale blue dot".

Prototype & Play-tests

Going from low-fidelity prototypes to user play-tests, the intensive testing and revisions are often the most challenging and the most fun part.
(And yes, sometimes we do crawl or get down on the ground during play-tests.)

A Pale Blue Dot

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