OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Science Museum Oklahoma patrons got to try new technology thanks to a pop-up exhibit.
ReLiveIt’s augmented reality application lets people see animations around an object, such as the full body of a rabbit around a rabbit’s skull.
ReLiveIt was one of four businesses to come out of summer 2017’s Sooner Launch Pad program. In the last several months, the company has been able to raise an additional $13,000. CEO Ben Campbell told The Journal Record that he and Chief Operating Officer Michael Thomas used that money to buy artifacts and then build out the pop-up exhibit at the science museum.
With the app, every artifact the company owns has content that goes with it, such as a launching rocket, or a flying plane next to an aviation suit. They set up their items in the science museum, and then people were given an iPad, which interacted with the icon next to the item. The interaction created an image on the screen, but it seemed like it was actually happening.
Campbell said about 2,000 people came through and used three iPads that were fitted with the app. Another nearly 700 people downloaded the program themselves.
People who used the app were given a survey afterward. The reviews were positive across the board and even better after the app was updated.
“What was most encouraging was having kids say this was the coolest thing they had ever seen,” said Campbell. “We had multiple people come back to try it, such as parents who wanted to use it without their kids, or grandparents who brought back a different set of grandchildren.”
Science Museum Oklahoma Communications Director Lindsay Thomas said ReLiveIt’s app served a dual purpose: It made the museum experience better and used science to do it.
“Coding is such a big deal for kids,” she said. “Being able to present a child with this kind of technology was a special opportunity for us. You never know what will get them started on their career path.”
On ReLiveIt’s survey, more than 60 percent of people said they have not used augmented reality technology previously.
ReLiveIt set up the pop-up museum from Dec. 18 to Jan. 15. During the winter people often visit the science museum because it’s too cold to go outside, Thomas said. But it isn’t cost-efficient for the museum to constantly update its exhibits. Thomas said the museum was in between renovations of two areas, with one being completed and another one in progress.
“Having this come in between those two updates was unique for our guests,” she said. “This is a different way to interact with an artifact or object that meets the needs of our guests.”
For ReLiveIt, the pop-up museum gave them their first data point for how interested people are in using the technology. On the survey, Michael Thomas said people were asked how much they would pay for the app, and the average price was $5.53.
Thomas said he and Campbell have heard from other entities interested in using the technology, including the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation, which would like to use it along Route 66.
“We’re interested in staying in the museum industry, but we’re also looking at other avenues, such as sports tickets,” he said.
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Information from: The Journal Record, http://www.journalrecord.com
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