A Mile in My Paws
Extending the Reach of Embodied Interaction in Informal Spaces.
“A Mile in My Paws” – “Paws” is an exhibit designed to educate zoo visitors about the increasingly severe effects of climate change on polar bears and their arctic homes. This exhibit was designed with docent interpretation as a critical component of the experience.
Visitors had to walk and swim across the north pole, as a polar bear would do, to find food. The virtual environment would present the ice coverage with three options: the past (more ice – less water), present (some ice – some water), and future predictions (less ice – more water). The user needs to make a physical effort, and their motion is tracked and updated in the virtual environment and complementary display.
The content for this exhibit was co-designed with Polar Bear International, climate scientists, engineers and educators.