Cinnabar Creates Interactive Eco Challenge Exhibit for Discovery Science Center

Where can kids shop for dinner, sort the trash faster than a recycling worker, and clean out the garage, all in less than an hour? With some help from an authentically detailed themed environment and just enough technology, the answer is the new set of Eco Challenge exhibits at the Discovery Science Center, in Santa Ana, California.

Opened in early September, the children's museum teamed up with seasoned exhibit producer Cinnabar to create a technology-rich, immersive, and interactive experience designed to educate kids on the fundamentals of recycling. Only weeks into opening the exhibit had hosted thousands of children and hailed the project a success.

"The children are immersed in an amazing environment full of realism and technology," says Joe Adams, Discovery Science Center president. "We're already hearing from parents that the message from the experience is being driven home."

The project was born when Orange County Waste & Recycling (OCW&R) approached Discovery Science Center with the idea for the exhibit. The museum then turned to Cinnabar to help make the exhibit a reality.

"We were brought into this project and given the project's vision," explains Cinnabar president Jonathan Katz. "With the museum's guidance, we completed the design/build work, assembled a team to accomplish the completely integrated project, including long time Cinnabar collaborator Mindi Lipschultz as media producer, and BBI Engineering for A/V systems and mechanical interfaces."

The hosts for these exhibits are the Eco Crew. These six animated characters embody the diversity of their young audience. They are lively, friendly, and informative, speaking as equals to their viewers, making an engaging, clear and passionate connection to what all of us can do to "Reduce, Recycle and Reuse."

The exhibit centers around three keystone experiences, all media-rich and detail-laden:

Discovery Market is a life-size recreation of a grocery store, complete with computer-enhanced shopping carts kids push around the store to scan items with to complete their shopping list. Animated clerks in each of the departments help guide shoppers through making the most ecologically friendly decisions while navigating the store.

The shopping carts, sized to the museum's younger visitors, are equipped with a computer, touch screen, handheld scanner, and a battery system that powers the system for a full days use. The visual playback introduces one of the Eco Crew members, Sandra, who explains how to choose a shopping list, give hints on game play, and comments on choices made by shoppers as they do their shopping.

These carts use an intuitive game play interface, immersing players in the experience so that fun and positive reinforcement- --and the learning that comes from it -- are never hindered by the system itself. The carts are engineered to be extremely durable, able to take the daily wear-and-tear dealt out in a supermarket and a hands-on science center.

Race to Recycle turns the concept of carnival-style horseracing game into a trash and recycling sorting adventure. After a quick introduction from Eco Crew member Zac, appearing on the screen console for each gaming station, kids select items off a moving conveyor belt and sort them into the proper bin to advance their waste truck along the racecourse.

Eco Garage recreates three typical Orange County garages, along with the bevy of toxic items contained within. Armed with a scanner, kids race the clock to pick items they think are hazardous waste. At the end, crew member Justin, who visitors met earlier in the Discovery Market, directs them to the nearest real-life hazardous waste processing facility.

Each of the exhibits is game-focused, makes use of hands-on technology and relies on engaging characters to reach out to kids in a fun way that they relate to.

"[Eco Challenge] is utilizing a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art exhibit to educate children and parents on the importance of making eco-friendly decisions for the long-term," explains Adams.

Best of all, the project was completed in less than a year - a feat which Katz credits to a clear vision from the museum and a cohesive team.

"A key part of our Integrated Creative Management (ICM) approach is to bring all the participants to the table at the beginning of a project. By identifying all the roles and our expectations at the onset, the project was able to move at a quick pace," says Katz. "Additionally, ICM results in additional value and savings for the client- enhancing the risk/reward attractiveness of this production model." The Discovery Science Center provided a clear vision for Cinnabar and Cinnabar in turn set in motion an effective collaborative production.