The Tech Interactive, Silicon Valley’s premier science and technology education center has opened Dream Garden, a new AI-powered immersive exhibit that allows visitors to explore artificial intelligence through movement and creativity. Developed by award-winning creative studio Design I/O, Dream Garden is the centerpiece of the museum’s new AI Sandbox gallery, a dynamic space focused on AI literacy.
“Dream Garden represents a significant milestone in making AI accessible and engaging for everyone,” said Katrina Stevens, President and CEO of The Tech Interactive. “We’re proud to share this stunning exhibit, where visitors of all ages and abilities can explore how their creativity interacts with and shapes this transformative technology.”
An Immersive AI Experience
As visitors enter the 1,285-square-foot Dream Garden, its whimsical landscape and features shift in response to their movements. The exhibit is powered by Google’s MediaPipe and Microsoft’s Phi-3.5 Small Language Models (SLMs), with a network of cameras, depth sensors, projectors, and high-performance computers enabling seamless AI-driven interactions.
“The integration of AI in Dream Garden redefines what an interactive exhibit can be,” said Theo Watson, Co-Founder of Design I/O. “By leveraging advanced gesture recognition, we’ve created an experience unlike any other—more than just an immersive room, it’s a seamlessly interactive adventure where visitors can collaborate or explore independently to transform the environment around them.”
AI Literacy Through Play
Dream Garden provides an intuitive introduction to AI, demonstrating how it processes information, learns, and makes decisions. Visitors can explore AI’s creative potential by guiding digital creatures, shaping interactive landscapes, and engaging with a haiku generator, which transforms their movement data into poetry. Real-time visual displays in the AI Sandbox gallery further explain how AI works in the exhibit, offering transparency into how its algorithms function.
Designed for Accessibility
Accessibility was a key focus in the development of Dream Garden. The exhibit features multi-modal interaction systems and sensory-friendly design elements that create an inclusive experience for all visitors. AI-powered gesture recognition ensures that guests with different movement abilities can fully participate, while visual and auditory cues support diverse needs. The space is also fully navigable for guests using mobility aids.
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