Fireflies that magically follow you
Overview
Bug Lab is an innovative touring exhibition designed with families in mind. We designed a variety of interactives for the exhibition and this one was a captivating experience for both the entry and exit points, aiming to set the scene for fully immersive exhibition.
As visitors walk into the exhibition, fireflies emerge from the forest, find the humans and follow them. If you stay still for long enough they will surround you, and then start blinking in unison. Are they communicating with you?
Design creates beautiful technology
We worked with entomologists to accurately model firefly anatomy and behaviour. The fireflies are shown in an enchanting atmosphere that is portrayed on a series of screens making up a video wall. We used infrared lights and motion-sensitive cameras to track visitors, and then programmed the fireflies to find the humans.
The whole exhibition is a travelling one, and so our technology not only needed to work reliably for hundreds of visitors a day, but also be easy to set up and manage in other locations - that is another level of robustness that is required. The exhibition is still travelling the world, enthralling visitors as they enter, and exit, a thought provoking exhibition.
It's a magical experience to encounter and fascinates all visitors.
Click Suite exemplify that rare and prized combination of high-creativity; healthy organisational governance; and technical prowess. The results are design excellence: engaging and inspiring, useful, and robust.
Amos Man, Digital Producer, Te Papa