The Arizona Science Center is now home to the 'OceanXperience' exhibit, a new interactive showcase that invites visitors to embark on a simulated deep-sea adventure. Starting Sunday, attendees can board a replica of the OceanXplorer, hailed as the world's most advanced research and filmmaking vessel. The exhibit promises a hands-on experience with the vessel's sophisticated technologies used in real ocean explorations, as reported by ABC15.
In what's billed as an all-ages educational escapade, the OceanXperience offers a range of simulated missions. Visitors can take on the role of an "Xplorer," studying the social structures of orca pods, decipher the communication patterns of humpback whales, or delve into the habitats of great hammerhead sharks. Realistic rooms such as Mission Control, the Bridge, and the Sub Hangar, complete with RFID wristband technology for research recording, enhances the immersive effect, according to a statement obtained by azscience.org.
The exhibition is not just about the spectacle but also education and conservation. A key feature is the HoloLab, where visitors don a HoloLens 2 headset and learn the ropes of using advanced technology for scientific research. Moreover, the immersive area offers a simulated descent into ocean depths, complete with original footage and authentic sounds from previous OceanXplorer missions.
Designed to stir up interest in marine conservation, the exhibit is included with general admission and runs until September. OceanXperience is created, and internationally toured by Flying Fish, based on an upcoming television series in collaboration with BBC Studios Natural History Unit, OceanX, and Earthship Productions for National Geographic. It's set to offer landlubbers a taste of the mysterious world beneath the waves, and spark curiosity in the next generation of conservationists, as reported by ABC15.
