In October of this year, the Botanic Garden at the Albuquerque BioPark will be opening a new BUGarium – a building with a series of exhibits devoted exclusively to insects and other bugs. A few of us at Ideum recently got a peek behind the scenes.

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Ideum is currently designing and developing an interactive for the new BUGarium that will allow visitors to “Be the Bug.” When they approach the Ideum Presenter 65 touch wall, visitors will choose from a selection of three very different bugs. Once the visitors choose their bug, they will be presented with a life-sized mirror image of the bug, which tracks and replicates their own movements using a Kinect sensor. After a few seconds admiring themselves as a giant bug in the “mirror,” visitors then take on the role of the bug and “fly” to forage or hunt for their food. The activity will be motion-based, so visitors will really get a feel of what it’s like to “Be the Bug.”

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On our field trip, we got to know a few of the critters on which the interactive bugs will be modeled, as well as a few other future BUGarium inhabitants. The “Be a Bug” interactive will debut in October 2015 when the new BUGarium opens. We are very excited to be working with this great local institution as they expand their educational offerings and facilities. To learn more about interactives Ideum has designed and developed, visit our Creative Services page.