Mission to STEM is an interactive app which weaves historically significant NASA artifacts together in a single mission. The app uses augmented reality, virtual reality, video production, and interactive game design to involve visitors in meaningful interactions with gallery artifacts .
The Mission to STEM app brings the museum's Apollo space capsule to life with 360° panoramas. Visitors examine parts of the capsule which are typically inaccessible to the public while completing a mission-critical task.
Visitors use augmented reality to "find" a rover tucked inside a gigantic and historically significant artifact: the Mars Airbag Landing System. An identical set of airbags cushioned the fall of the Pathfinder rover and allowed it to land safely on Mars.
Sensor Zone invites visitors to explore sensors of all kinds - pressure sensors under foot, light sensors in walls, and distance sensors overhead - to trigger light, sound, and motion in whimsical and real-world settings.
The Sensor Maze challenges visitors to explore sensors along a winding path through the museum by trying to make it through the maze without tripping any sensors or by deliberately finding and setting off all of the hidden sensors. Stoplights change from red to green and back again, sound effects blare, and lights flash as children navigate the maze.
Sensors embedded in furniture and hidden under the rug transform a living space into a whimsical form of home automation. Children trigger music and lights, and even cause a disco ball to spin, simply by moving about the room. Spontaneous dancing is a frequent occurrence in this wacky, high-tech clubhouse.