Science North

Science North Blends Education And Entertainment With Immersive Interactive Quiz Game

April 2008 – Science North is a science centre located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.  Since opening in 1984, Science North has welcomed millions of visitors from around the world and is recognized for its unique style of science communication.  Science North’s six attractions include a science centre, IMAX theatre, butterfly gallery, motion simulator, special exhibitions hall and Dynamic Earth, an earth sciences centre.

Science North’s has just opened its fifth and newest traveling exhibiton, WaterWorks: Soak up the Science. While the exhibition was under development, Science North staff turned to GestureTek’s ScreenXtreme immersive and interactive digital signage system to create an immersive experience for the entrance to the exhibit. 

ScreenXtreme places a person’s real-time video image into any flat-screen video projection display.  Users can watch themselves onscreen as they control dynamic interactive multi-media content by waving their hands and moving their body.

For Science North, GestureTek created a custom multiple choice game that quizzes participants on four topics about water.  Participants can see themselves onscreen and gesture with their hands to select the correct answer. Answering correctly causes a change to the visual display that provides feedback and encourages learning.

“Science North has spent more than 20 years dedicating itself to engaging visitors with science experiences that both educate and entertain.  With such an explosion of new media, we knew we needed something cool and cutting edge to start off their experience in WaterWorks” said Jennifer Pink, Senior Scientist, Science North.  “GestureTek’s interactive gesture-controlled ScreenXtreme system is an excellent enhancement to our traveling exhibition.”