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Home > Press > Press Releases > World's 2nd Virtual Fish Tank Opens
World's 2nd Virtual Fish Tank Opens
Nearlife Aquatic "Living Entertainment" Experience Now at St. Louis Science Center
St. Louis, MO – January 28, 2000 – Nearlife Inc., a pioneer in utilizing proprietary technologies to develop new forms of entertainment that immerse audiences in near-life experiences, is introducing the second version of its acclaimed Virtual Fish Tank at the St. Louis Science Center. First created and installed at the Boston Museum of Science, Virtual Fish Tank immerses visitors in an undersea world where they can interact with simulated cartoon-like fish, and create fish of their own.
The St. Louis Virtual Fish Tank follows closely on the heels of Nearlife's most ambitious "living entertainment" experience, KidsRoom2, which opened on December 31, 1999 at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich, England. Similar to the Virtual Fish Tank, KidsRoom2 is an immersive, interactive, stimulating experience but in the form of a child's fantasy bedroom featuring virtual birds, a high water river adventure and frolicking monkeys.
"Kids love to play with virtual cartoon-like characters - in real time and space," said Tinsley Galyean, founder and CEO, Nearlife. "Whether it's creating and setting loose a fish of their own into the Virtual Fish Tank or modifying the schooling habits of the fish in the tank, it's a stimulating, mesmerizing, learning experience for little and big kids alike."
"It's an honor to be part of the St. Louis Science Center. The Center is one of the premiere science museums in the world and gives us a special opportunity to entertain and teach millions of visitors, and to showcase our technologies and storytelling capabilities," he added.
Virtual Fish Tank is an exhibit in the Science Center's newest gallery, Cyberville. Cyberville features state-of-the-art technology, one-of-a-kind exhibits and more than 45 hands-on activities to make complex technology user-friendly and easy to understand for all ages.
"Nearlife is an ideal partner for Cyberville," said Doug King, president, St. Louis Science Center. "The Virtual Fish Tank incorporates the latest software and computer technologies, a key hallmark of Cyberville. At the same time, it provides visitors with a vibrant, stimulating and fun experience. It encourages creative thinking and learning - two of our most important goals."
Nearlife proprietary software, called Directable Characters, is the engine that drives the fish characters in the Virtual FishTank, enabling them to react to each other and their environment in real time. Visitors to the Virtual Fish Tank have some control over the fish behavior by selecting rules that guide them. Actual patterns of behavior are governed by the interactions among the fish characters.
For example, visitors can adjust the hunger of the sharks and watch as they gobble up the other fish in the tank (including their own) or make fish that are people-friendly and watch as they are attracted to visitors walking by the tank.
More about the St. Louis Science Center
The St. Louis Science Center is dedicated to improving science literacy through innovative programs and exhibits presented in an engaging way for all ages. With more than 1.5 million visitors annually, the Center is one of the top ten science centers in the world. The Center features nine galleries comprising 650 exhibits. Cyberville, which was funded largely by Southwestern Bell Foundation, introduces visitors to the 21st century and encourages them to explore and learn about technological change and innovations.
More about Nearlife
Based in Cambridge, MA, Nearlife creates proprietary technologies to develop new forms of living entertainment that immerse audiences in near life experiences. Nearlife was founded by Tinsley and Sheri Galyean in 1996, as a spin-off of the MIT Media Lab, widely recognized as one of the world's leading institutions for inventing and advancing new forms of interactive entertainment, education and communications.
Nearlife combines traditional and established entertainment values and the storytelling talents of plot and character development with cutting-edge technology to deliver highly engaging, creative and stimulating "living entertainment."
Nearlife clients include the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York City; the Museum of Science, Boston; the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; the Millennium Dome, Greenwich, England; Intel and Mitsubishi.
For Information Contact:
Jim Brady
Nearlife Inc.
info@nearlife.com
(617) 491-3184
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