Project Title: Mixed Reality Dinosaur

Museum/ Institution: From the National Museum of Nature and Science (Tokyo). Demonstrated at the National Museum of Natural History (Washington DC).  

Media Category: mixed media/hybrid 

Program Created:    Mixed Reality Dinosaur Experience, in conjunction with Canon

Program URL (if available):  

Project Image(s) and/or Video

Media Source(s)/Credit(s): Photos Laurie Stepp

Program Description: The public Mixed Reality demo at National Museum of Natural History was the result of a partnership between the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, The Open University (Japan), and Canon. On the spectrum between Virtual and Real, Mixed Reality is closer to Virtual Reality, but still rooted in the real world. This sort of augmentation is spatially very different from a flat plane, or a window or a screen or picture plane. The graphics move out into our world. CAD is used to generate images that are linked in real time to the movements of a proprietary viewer developed by Canon. Holding the viewer, a (real) small dinosaur skeleton on a pedestal appears fully fleshed in the real space that the viewer is standing in.  As a narrative voice asks “Oh, what is happening?” the dinosaur leaps from its pedestal and moves around, within inches of the viewer. The dinosaur was tracked with a large series of QR codes, for stability. The precise position matching, as the viewer’s head or body moves, with the view of the CAD generated 3D dinosaur, made for a nearly convincing illusion. We think we are looking at the room, but really, we are looking at an instantaneous video of the room, with a CG 3D object added. It doesn’t create a window or screen that we look into, instead, the images move out into our world.

Firsthand or secondary review/critique: This certainly is a novel and engaging experience. Most adults, especially men, seemed pleasurably engaged, walking away smiling and saying “cool”. A few people looked quickly through the viewer and left, uninterested. School groups were eager to try and really seemed to like it, wanting to do it more. A four year old burst into tears, saying “I thought it was going to eat me”. It’s hard to say how much of the informational narrative kids picked up, but the technology definitely contributes to a memorable and vivid experience. The illusion is remarkable and convincing, and I can only guess how it is to a child who pretends. The field is nascent. We will have guides who are chimeras and apparitions, using sunglasses instead of handhelds or weighty headsets. I do think that it will take sensitive design to make sure that it puts spectacle to good cultural use. It restores that sense of “pleasure and delight” that people used to speak about in terms of museums, a delight in learning, as long as the effect is the vehicle and not the entire experience. An unexpected outcome of this type of technology is that it will not translate on the web. You must be at the museum for it to work. I was glad that I was able to see this, while it was in DC. 

Technologies incorporated:  Video, QR code, CAD, Canon viewer with position matching 

Internally or externally produced: External - partnership between the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, The Open University (Japan), and Canon. 

Entry Contributor and Date: Laurie Stepp 3/26/2011 

Related projects:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2RqDTYYoFc