Prototype: The Experimental Museum

Museums are great spaces for families to visit and see new things and explore new cultures or new worlds. Prototype is an interactive museum that creates it's own world and fosters exhibits for curiosity. I have been to the Prototype museum twice and both times had a different experience that had me walking away asking different questions.

Prototype is a new kind of cultural experience, a first-of-its-kind media attraction focused on showcasing and expanding the limits of creative design technology and immersive media entertainment. Created by Roto, the museum invites visitors into innovative, supersensory experiences — where art, media, and technology converge to create bold, boundary-pushing installations (Prototype: The Experiential Museum, n.d.).

Taking the lead in both exhibit design and technical production of all interactive experiences, Roto developed 20-30 rotating experiences for Prototype Version 1.0 that feature new forms of interactivity, technology, and immersion. Designed for adults, Prototype visitors explore six immersive “Stages” filled with experiences designed to test audience behavior, spark dialogue, and push the boundaries of what museums can be (Prototype: The Experiential Museum, n.d.).

While Prototype may be technically designed for adults, Roto is a company that inspires to "create genuine human connection" and they work with several children's museums across the country to create interactive exhibits ("Roto Home Page," n.d.).

Prototype guests follow a semi-sequential experience that builds through the six Stages before climaxing in a theater “finale” – Stage 6, the largest immersive space in Prototype. Unlike a traditional museum, Prototype is designed to change. Each version will introduce new works, updates, and partnerships, creating a constantly evolving cultural landscape (Prototype: The Experiential Museum, n.d.).

The creative interactivity of the museum's exhibits is something is very rare in our everyday lives. Prototype gives visitors a spark of joy and gives them a space to question the origin or reasoning behind the exhibit.

Something as intuitive as interactive interfaces for children who cannot communicate well or cannot reach certain controls on the cars entertainment system, heating and cooling vents, or adjusting the seat could drastically change the dynamic of interaction between parents and children. Also, playful interaction in general is not something that the environment of the car allows for but there's definitely a possibility to make actions that are ordinarily frustrating to be easy and even fun.

References

Prototype: The Experimental Museum. roto.com. (n.d.-a). https://roto.com/projects/prototype

Roto Home Page. roto.com. (n.d.-b). https://roto.com/