Catawba Science Center

Be A Fart Scientist Interactive

Interactive Museum Exhibit Adds Touch And Sight To Educate Kids About What Foods Make Farts

Since 1975, the Catawba Science Center provides science education through hands-on exhibits at their expansive facilities in Hickory, North Carolina.

One current interactive exhibit, named the Gross Labs, educates on the “gross” but necessary functions of the human body. Within the Gross Labs had been a popular but broken electro-mechanical exhibit, referred to as the Fart Scientist.

To replace it, Holt Environments, working with the Center’s executive director and a local gastroenterologist, created an interactive program that explains what types of foods do or do not produce gas.

Visitors start the interactive program by pressing one of nine LED backlit buttons, illustrated with 9 different foods. Visitors then interact with the program via a large touchscreen to cycle through the path these foods take through the body. At the end of each food’s path, a fart noise may or may not be played. The program then returns to the home screen and the visitor is prompted to select another food.

Holt Environments also designed and built the sturdy, colorful cabinet to house the interactive program, including the technology to interface the buttons, touchscreen, speakers, and backlit graphics.

CLIENT:
Catawba Science Center

CATEGORIES
Museums

Interactive

Millwork

SERVICES:
Digital Applications + Touch Devices

Fabrication & Installation