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New virtual reality exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum /Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is bringing a new virtual reality experience to the Museum opening Saturday, December 16, 2017 featuring Finny, the Museum’s iconic 1905 finback whale skeleton that hangs above the first floor Galleria.
At the Meet Finny kiosk, visitors will come face to face with Finny in the Finny Virtual Reality experience. An HTC Vive headset and hand controls will be available to put on and spend a few minutes interacting with Finny in a whale’s natural environment.
“Using technology to enhance our experiences here at the Museum is one of our priorities,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the GRPM. “Creating a virtual reality experience and interactive exhibit for one of our most iconic artifacts allows visitors to learn more about it from a scientific and historical perspective, while adding a new dimension to visitor trips to the Museum.”
Visitors will see Finny swimming around as you stand on the ocean floor, and learn about whale anatomy through the layers of its body. As visitors look through the headset, small targets will be seen on the whale, that allow users to click and learn more about fin whales. Learn about Finny’s blubber layer, internal organs and skeleton!
Additionally, visitors can interact with two video touchscreens to learn more about Finny and fin whales in general. Museum visitors can explore the history of Finny, how this artifact came to the Museum and see images of Finny throughout history, as well as interact with scientific findings about fin whales, including what they eat, how big they are and more!
“The team at Externa CGI and I were thrilled to play a part in bringing Virtual Reality (VR) to the Grand Rapids Public Museum,” said Brian Knapp, Creative Director at Externa CGI. “We all love the Museum and what it brings to our community and we are honored to be involved.”
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