Markets /markets Customer Profiles /markets/customerProfiles/default.asp Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia /markets/customerProfiles/AcademyNatSciences/default.asp Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Entertainment /markets/customerProfiles/AcademyNatSciences/imgs/exterior.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/AcademyNatSciences/imgs/mural.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/AcademyNatSciences/imgs/sculpture.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/AcademyNatSciences/imgs/kiosk.jpg Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia /assets/literature/Vertical.Markets.Natural.Science.pdf /assets/literature/thumbs/ent_NaturalSciences.jpg PDF | 472 KB 2003 1 Modern museums are following a recipe perfected by many of today's theme parks: Make it fun, cool and family-friendly. Of course, you won't suddenly see rides and carnival-style games next to artwork, sculptures and artifacts. At the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, however, AMX technology is the secret behind the success of one of its most popular attractions. All it takes is the touch of a button — simple enough for a child or adult to accomplish. This prompts the hidden AMX Control System to instantly activate audio and video for the unique "Living Downstream" watershed exhibition. Instead of posting traditional pictures and text to share information, this interactive exhibit comes alive to create a multi-sensory experience. “We used NetLinx for its advanced programming capabilities and how easy it is to integrate with other manufacturer's protocols. Since the exhibit's completion, the system has required little servicing. AMX is solid as a rock.” "My take on interactive exhibits is this: It's a great idea," said Scott Randinelli, CTS, Project Manager at Advanced Audio Visual (West Chester, Penn.), the AMX Dealer and presentation solution company that handled the entire exhibit's integration. "Interactive exhibits are much more interesting. It's hard to hold a child's attention, but I believe this particular exhibit does a great job of doing just that. From what I have heard and witnessed, the exhibit seems to get a lot of traffic. Much of it comes from the kids." Source of Inspiration The watershed exhibit's purpose is to demonstrate how the actions of people impact water quality and what can be done to help improve the aquatic environment. The Academy of Natural Sciences staff designed the permanent installation, which was inspired by the institution's world-renowned watershed research, restoration and conservation efforts. "Fluid" Exhibit Automation The two-part exhibit resides on separate floors. The "Life Depends on Water" sculpture, located on the first, showcases a number of multimedia components. Five 17" LCD monitors are mounted with curving tubular pieces that form a giant stationary globe. Speakers, mounted overhead, deliver clear, pervasive sounds. Together, the five integrated DVD players cue audio and video, all timed and looped to run in concert with a programmed schedule managed by the AMX NetLinx Control System. As visitors walk around the display, the graphics continuously change. On the second floor, a mural entitled "We All Live Downstream" transforms into a fiber-optically lighted geographical landscape. The fiber-optic lights, graphic images and recordings are activated using any one of three integrated AMX 15-inch Touch Panels. Custom-mounted speakers sit hidden from view, and a DVD/MP3 player handles the audio and video messages. Three LCD monitors hanging eight feet above allow surrounding spectators to view what a single user is seeing and doing on the Touch Panels. "Integrating a museum requires extreme ease of use, the simple delivery of information, equipment that is very durable, and an overall system that is easily maintainable," Randinelli said. AMX: Solid as a Rock As NetLinx directs the exhibit's automation features, the academy's director, manager of audio/video services and curators have the freedom and time to tackle other issues. Behind the scenes, NetLinx directs more than 20 different pieces of equipment from a wide range of brand name manufacturers. The NetLinx system adds a high level of intelligence to the exhibit, recognizing when to power devices on and off in relation to the operating hours of the academy. The exhibit automatically shuts down at the same time the museum closes for the night. This makes life significantly easier for staffers, who also have the ability to reset the exhibit, make updates to the automated schedule of events, and monitor the status of equipment and necessary maintenance — onsite or through a customized, password-protected online Web page from a remote location. Changes, updates and edits to the exhibit's audio, video and lighting configurations can be made within a matter of minutes. "We used NetLinx for its advanced programming capabilities and how easy it is to integrate with other manufacturer's protocols," said Dave Goldberg, CTS, Senior Systems Engineer at Advanced Audio Visual. "Since the exhibit's completion, the system has required little servicing. AMX is solid as a rock. Once it's up and running, should something break down, it's probably not the AMX gear." Now, that's extremely cool.