The role of virtual reality and technology in the future of museums
Museums are usually considered purveyors of the past, but in Alex Benay’s eyes, they might be better off as tech pioneers.
“I’m not a traditionalist,” said Benay, president and CEO of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. “The concept here is using things like virtual reality, open data, anything that gets the story out … whether it’s raw or filtered, [it] means engagement.”
The first test of Benay’s approach is a virtual-reality (VR) simulation of the 1936 CN 6400 steam locomotive. Acquired by the Canada Science and Technology Museum in 1967, the train is a popular attraction at the museum.
Visitors to the museum, currently closed for renovations, will step into a six-foot-long by six-foot-high box, throw on an Oculus Rift headset and begin “operating” the train in 4-D, complete with surround sound, air cannons shooting steam into their face while the floor quakes beneath their feet.
“You can go and look at the train, but if you get to live the experience … that’s a better emotional home run for a visitor,” Benay said, adding that anyone with their own VR headset can drive the train from home, too. “[The] visitor can be anywhere in the country, or the world,” he said.
“Maybe we need to stop looking at exhibitions as the only way for a museum to engage,” he said. “Maybe we should stop talking about attendance to these exhibitions as the measure for success.”
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