I haven’t posted much about my new position at the Museum these past few months (which I hope to rectify soon) but this lovely A.P. piece, “5 Ways Museums Are Using Technology for New Experiences,” focuses on a number of museums and includes many examples from AMNH. Two projects with which I’m involved were mentioned:
At a recent special event at the American Museum of Natural History, young visitors tested out virtual reality goggles that “shrank” them to the size of a beetle for a close-up view of the weevil’s anatomy.
and
“Telepresence robots” — screens mounted on two long poles on wheels — use videoconferencing technology similar to Skype to connect visitors to expert information not quite available from a tour guide.
The American Museum of Natural History tried it out recently at a special event inside its Northwest Coast Indians Hall to beam an indigenous member of the remote Haida Gwaii community into the museum to talk with visitors.
Note: The telepresence robot project, which we call Video Bridge, is done in collaboration with the Haida Gwaii Museum, and is offered the first Saturday of every month.
