Looking Down on Earth

Project Overview

Looking Down on Earth is a large-scale, interactive space exhibit developed for the Kirby Science Center as part of their new space-focused gallery.

Created in collaboration with Formula-D, the exhibit allows visitors to explore Earth from orbit through a shared, multiplayer experience—blending real-time data, tactile interaction, and immersive projection.

Our role focused on designing and engineering the interactive software ecosystem that connected handheld devices, multiplayer logic, and a large-format projection system into a single coherent experience.

The Experience

Visitors interact with the exhibit using Android tablets, each running a custom application. Together, multiple players explore Earth from spacei - discovering weather systems, geography, and planetary data while seeing their collective actions reflected on a large projection surface above and around them.

Key goals of the experience:

• Encourage collaboration, not solo play
• Support multiple languages for accessibility
• Feel responsive, playful, and intuitive for all ages
• Operate reliably in a high-traffic museum environment

Technical Scope & Responsibilities

We built four interconnected applications, each with a specific role in the system:

Tablet Client Apps (Android)

• Multi-language UI
• Support for offline and Content Management System (CMS) synchronisation
• Real-time interaction and feedback
• Designed for durability and fast recovery in public use

Multiplayer Game Logic

• Synchronised state across multiple tablets
• Shared goals and collective outcomes
• Graceful handling of players joining or leaving mid-session

Projection Control Application

• Receives live data from all tablets
• Translates interaction into large-scale visuals
• Built to run continuously with minimal operator input

System Orchestration Layer

• Device discovery and communication
• Session timing and reset logic
• Fault-tolerant behaviour for museum uptime

Real - Time Communication & Projection

At the heart of the installation is a real-time communication layer between the tablets and a TouchDesigner - driven projection system.

• Tablets send interaction data continuously
• TouchDesigner translates this into dynamic visuals
• The projection acts as a shared "world view" for all players

This architecture allows:

• Immediate visual feedback
• Scalable multiplayer participation
• Clear cause-and-effect between user action and projection response

Design Challenges

Multiplayer in a Public Space

Unlike personal games, museum exhibits must handle:

• Unpredictable player behaviour
• Constant session resets
• Visitors of vastly different ages and abilities

Language & Accessibility

The apps were built with multi-language support from day one, ensuring the exhibit could serve a diverse audience without duplicating code or logic.

Reliability Over Perfection

In a museum context, robustness beats complexity. Every interaction, animation, and data exchange was optimized for:

• Stability
• Predictable performance
• Long unattended run-times

Collaboration with Formula-D

This project continues my long-standing collaboration with Formula-D, working at the intersection of experience design, spatial storytelling, and real-time interactive technology.

Formula-D led the conceptual, spatial, and narrative design, while I focused on turning those ideas into a production-ready interactive system that could live comfortably on a museum floor.

Outcome

• A fully operational, multiplayer space exhibit
• Seamless integration between handheld devices and projection
• An engaging, collaborative way for visitors to explore Earth from orbit
• A scalable technical foundation adaptable to future exhibits

Technologies Used

• Android (custom tablet applications)
• Real-time networking & multiplayer logic
• TouchDesigner
• Projection-based interactive systems