Edutainment room for the Nature Center Zagorje

In order to educate visitors of the protected area of Krapina-Zagorje County through the interpretation of various educational content, the Public Institution for Management of Protected Areas of Nature of Krapina-Zagorje County decided to equip the Nature Center Zagorje with multimedia. The center guides visitors through protected natural areas in a very innovative way and allows them to experience the natural values of Krapina-Zagorje County through holograms, virtual reality, imitation of caves, and other sound and image effects.

The multimedia setup of the Nature Center Zagorje has added the value of an educational center and will contribute to increasing the number of visitors to the wider area through various workshops and programs. The realization of this project will greatly contribute to the quality of future work of the institution in terms of holding the school programs in nature and environmental education for all ages.

Background

Challenge

The main challenge was to design the concept and content of the PandoPad solution that would educate visitors and provide useful information in a multimedia format with its visual identity and interactive content.

Our approach

Based on the approved concept, it was necessary to define the detailed layout and functionality of the multimedia system, specify the necessary equipment, applications and specify the content formats. All visual content was created and a user interface was designed that was later enabled via Pandopad Manager.

Solutions

PandoPad® WALL unit (interactive board), interactive floor unit, interactive guide with galleries and wayfinder, hologram projections, info screens, interactive table, projection system, interactive simulations, sound effects, ambient lighting, virtual reality presentation, web solutions, and a large package of PandoPad® Applications. Finally, a PandoPad® Manager CMS was delivered as a central place to manage all content.

The setup of a virtual multimedia presentation center for nature was designed with the aim of applying new technologies for education purposes. Introductory lectures start in the classroom on the ground floor, which is equipped with interactive units that contain many interactive applications, and a projector system for showing educational films.

As part of the project, various functional units of the multimedia system were defined and delivered according to thematic positions in the center. On the example we see holographic projections through which the visitor gets acquainted with the life cycle of selected plants and butterflies.

The interactive table shows a short animation with a retrospective of the biodiversity of Zagorje on topics that visitors have gone through up to this point. The interactive table also invites the visitor to launch a projection of the Hraschina meteorite crash displayed on the wall.

When the visitor steps on the screen of the interactive floor unit, an interactive presentation of life in protected Zagorje rivers and streams is shown.

The cave simulation offers a unique experience where the visitor enters the dark space of the cave where he can see several screens with low lighting and on them the animal world of the cave. Visitors can also see a simulation of a hole through the bark of a tree and observe birds on an indoor screen through a simulation of binoculars.

Visitor can also experience the protected areas in virtual reality with a VR headset in while sitting on the oval shaped chair. The chair specially designed to ensure maximum sound insulation, allow 360 degree rotation and create a feeling of floating above Zagorje.