Attractions Toolkit - Body Wars

Welcome back to Attractions Toolkit, the section selecting one attraction from the pavilion, and figuring out which parts can be added, subtracted or replaced. But first, there had been a flurry of rumors and updates pertaining to the current state of Body Wars before we begin today's brainstorming. From an anonymous witness, word has it that demolition of the interior may have happened, with the simulator shells removed completely. In an uncanny way, this somewhat freed up some thought possibilities pertaining to how Body Wars would have been updated, or even by now, replaced.

Footsteps - Gulf Coast Exploreum's "My Bodyworks"

Welcome again, readers. Today in Footsteps, we have dug up another exhibit of interest, this time, centered in downtown Alabama, at the Gulf Coast Exploreum. The exhibit in question is one called "My Bodyworks", which is one of the human body exhibits in focus.

The museum exterior building, as seen here: http://blog.bigmoviezone.com/?p=12924

The "My Bodyworks" exhibit, opened in January 2009, is a high-tech look at the human body, in an interactive, hands-on and engaging way. According to the Gulf Coast Exploreum's official site, the interactive hall contains 50 custom designed exhibits to dazzle a wide range of audiences. The main game of the exhibit isn't just hands on edutainment, but also in an interactive manner, as the site describes:

From the 12-foot-tall beating heart to augmented reality, science meets fun at every turn. Each exhibit reveals information about anatomy, nutrition or exercise. Learn more about the skin you're in and how to live life to the fullest with healthy choices.

 Head to Toe: An interactive scanner, allowing guests to get to know the body's systems at a glance.

This, along with other exhibits, is demonstrated at the 3:57 minute mark

Interiorwise, it feels like a large, futuristic laboratory, one that MET Biotech would have bawled over if it wasn't for sponsor cuts (but enough with the jealousy element). Here's a lowdown of the exhibit stations at a glance:

• The BeHealthy stations, which encourages everyone to test their physical activity skills within a range of activities in a fun and engaging way. Whether through jump tests, upper muscle strength or flexibility tests (such as the Dance Dance Revolution, Cardiac Style game), through to measuring blood pressure and volume, and even an exercise activity to see how long it would burn the calories in (example given) a cheeseburger! As part of the interactivity experience, visitors would record their results on the activity cards, and they would be traded for your personal health profile.


• My Beating Heart, a 12 foot tall illuminated heart model, designed to display the signs of cardiac arrest in a biomechanical manner. The premise is the heart is seen beating normally, but during a simulated blood clot, it works harder and faces cardiac arrest. A monument of borderline 'creep factor', but at the same time, a head on look on the heart as it functions. Also, augmented reality cards allowing the virtual inspection of the heart's exterior, functions and many components and valves, forming the secondary heart of this cardiac exhibit. 

My Beating Heart: The interactive heart display

• Head to Toe Display, (seen further upwards) which is a spectacular 'window to the innards', via a movable screen to scan a life size representation of the body, delving into five of the body's well known systems (skeletal, muscular, cardiopulmonary, nervous and digestive); users can touch the screen and switch from one system to another, to view text based/video based information on the organ of that system.
• Ernest G DeBakey Virtual Surgery Center, a high tech surgery simulation center covering more than a selection of surgical procedures, from a virtual heart bypass, knee replacement surgery, blood vessel repair with laser-beam tools, and even endoscopic surgery techniques.

The Ernest G DeBakey Virtual Surgery Center, home of some of the most innovative surgery simulation displays.

Along with these exhibits, there is also a BioLab, appropriately named as it is a fully functioning laboratory, where visitors can participate in some interesting experiments, and view some entertaining demonstrations. At any time, five different experiment procedures designed for visitors to explore health and biology in a hands on manner in its different sections (the body, medicine, health, nutrition, fitness), and has covered a range of themes covered bi-monthly (cited on the website including "...Human Body Systems, Health & Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Human Growth & Aging, Immunology, Microbiology, Human Anatomy..."). On-stage demonstrations also allow visitors to serve as volunteers as part of each explored topic. Healthy cooking demonstrations, virtual lab visits and workshops have also happened there.

A glimpse of the BioLab, with a set of exercise racers (visitors get to race against a skeletal model to understand how their skeleton works) 

The reason why I managed to bring this up as part of the Footsteps series is that there is an interesting allusion to the Frontiers in Medicine, one that would have been the biomedical premise bearing similarities to another exhibit on EPCOT territory, The Living Seas. Of course, while we already have a laboratory within EPCOT borders (the one situated in The Land in charge of managing the garden), it would be interesting to have a laboratory setting when it comes to approaching the topic of advances in medical technology. Add to the amusement or touring aspects of Body Wars (or a similar niche ride with that biomedical factor, original development permitting) and you have yourselves, yet again, part of a possible new lease on Life. After describing and analysis of the exhibit components, it is interesting how innovative "My Bodyworks" appears, and hence is an excellent contender in the Footsteps section of this blog.

Here are some source links of where some of the information was quoted or referenced from, along with some other pages for further reading or research:

• 2012. Gulf Coast Exploreum - My Bodyworks. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.exploreum.com/exhib_bodyworks.html. [Accessed 18 October 12].
• 2012. Gulf Coast Exploreum - BioLab. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.exploreum.com/exhib_biolab.html [Accessed 18 October 12]
• 2009. G. C Exploreum's Blog, "Virtual Surgery Center is a Big Hit" [ÓNLINE] Available at http://exploreum.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/virtual-surgery-center-is-big-hit.html [Accessed 18 October 12].
• 2009. G. C. Exploreum's Blog, "My Bodyworks Exhibit Now Open" [ONLINE] Available at http://exploreum.blogspot.com.au/2009/01/my-bodyworks-exhibit-now-open.html [Accessed 18 October 12].

If you have any experiences pertaining to visiting the exhibit, whether from anecdotes or memories or even a few pics, feel free to mention them in the comments below. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to check back other articles within the Footsteps section, and if you know of a great health or human body exhibit worth researching (or free-promoting!) feel free to drop a line!

Possibility 8: Neural Befixery

Welcome back to another article of Possibilities. So far, we have looked back on the little things and thoughts that might improve the attractions to the next generation - from modular add-ons through to peeks at the latest technologies, and even thoughts on botanical monuments. In this article, we decide to go straight to the head of another interesting issue, which, for some apparent reason before the Wonders of Life became ingrained into Future World, has been used liberally in early EPCOT Center attractions. Because ironically, Wonders is said to have the chronologically last one...

Potential WoL Resurrection Ideas, part 7

Welcome back, readers, and after a few glimpses on the external and visibility aspects of the Wonders of Life pavilion in this hypothesis-centered series, here are a few past articles in case you would like more information, or have just missed it:

1. The Interior (Design, Structure at a Glance)
2. Music Playlist
3. Floorplan, Attraction Categories
4. Colour and Design Schemes
5. Sponsorship and Character Involvement
6. Advertising, Promotion and Visibility

Which brings us to the next section in the series, which will definitely go beyond the design and aesthetics aspects of the series, and through to the functional...

Attractions Toolkit - Fitness Fairgrounds

Welcome readers, and due to the sheer anticipation of the sporting event that stops the world, I'm deciding to bring up another Attractions Toolkit, this time, for another hands on exhibit. You may remember in the previous article, it covered Sensory Funhouse and the many ideas that would have made it far more memorable.
Fitness Fairgrounds was one of Wonders of Life's hands-on offerings, and being a big hit in its prime, the exhibit area consisted of two sections - the iconic WonderCycles, and the Coach's Corner testing booth. For those who have no idea what are these exhibits are, here's a crash course:

• The WonderCycles were a hands on staple, and it was an interactive take on the exercise bike with a touch screen. Guests can cycle through one of three locations, especially Disneyland in Anaheim, and even in a miniaturised-point-of-view (and you thought Body Wars was the only attraction to involve miniturisation)
• Coach's Corner was a netted/caged booth in which guests can try out three sports: baseball, golf and tennis - this simulation was designed to analyse guests' swing, with celebrity athletes giving them tips on achieving the most ideal swing for great game performance.

While it's only a minute section of the exhibit, I would as well have to blame the single-floor layout for limiting the choices (*sigh* because Epcot... no scorn intended.) But assuming that the plan was to only put together the highlights (and the innovative) aspects of fitness, that kind of served as the Achilles heel in two ways - the technology being outdated, and that this is only the fingerprint aspect of fitness. Perhaps, as this aspect is straightforward, here is the sketch for a reference:

The above floorplan, on how Fitness Fairgrounds would like to be expanded

From the above referential conceptual floorplan, it would be particularly wise to consider covering the major aspects of fitness as possible. In this case, we may keep the two attractions, but the main goal would be expansion. The key areas that might be of interest might be the jogging track simulation, the treadmill wheels, the rock walls, and the fitness ability test booths. Let's give a brief description of each attraction section, and how it would have been improved, or just set up.

Footsteps - You! The Experience

Welcome back, readers, and in another issue of Footsteps, we focus on another state of the art exhibit, already mentioned a little way back in this blog as an exhibit of interest, and even for its release a couple of years ago, it still has the inspirational appeal of what Wonders would have jumped for if it was given another chance.
You! The Experience is a successful interactive exhibit, as hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, and  focuses on the concept of life and health in an expansive take - ranging from the mind and body, through to healthy choices, through to medical innovations, and even in depth to a personal level. Again, because the exhibit is continentally away from my main blogging quarters (*SIGH*), I shall start with a brief summary of the exhibits primary highlights:

• Your Mind - portraying the mind as the "...main generator of the thoughts, emotions and decisions that can affect your health in big and subtle ways", this part of the exhibit covers the self-portrait (how we see ourselves), as well as techniques to attract our attention (for instance, in advertising), and even an interactive 'brain exploration' game under augmented reality.
  
  
  

  More written information on this technological exhibit of the brain: Augmented Reality - Brain Interactive



• Your Appetite - encouraging people to be concious of what they feed their bodies, this exhibit is hands-on, especially in fields on comparing different common snack choices (which one is healthier?) and even what's really in their snacks.


• Your Heart - Considered the most iconic exhibit landmark of the Museum, it is a 13-foot tall 3D interactive animation, and shows many views of the heart, inside and out. Guests can interact by sending over their pulse - the heart on display will beat in time with theirs. Here's a brief video from their official website:
  
  
  


• Your Beginning - In my humble opinion, if 'The Making of Me' had its own interactive exhibit, but with more artistic merit - this exhibit consists of an interactive display following a mother adjusting to a growing baby during pregnancy, through to a collection of preserved human embryo/fetuses, each per stage of development.
  


• Your Vitality - they say that overall health is closely linked to quality of life, so this section is to do with the little things that can help your overall health. The iconic Laugh Garden is the cornerstone of the exhibit (and the epitome of laughter as the best medicine), as well as an engaging game of mindball, in which guests compete against each other trying to move the ball the furthest - the more relaxed the person, the higher chance of succeeding.


• Your Movement - this section inspires guests to be more physically active in life, regardless of their age or state of health - this ranges through to the assisting (a "sports personality quiz" to help pick which activity you'll enjoy), through to the interactive (the 'hamster wheel' and the motion-capture screen installations)
  


• Medical Innovations (ft. iStan®) - the name says it all, this section focuses on the high tech aspects of medical developments (which would have filled the niche for what Frontiers in Medicine), from the bionic, through to medical imaging, and even to some life-changing high tech procedures. Also featuring iStan®, a Human Patient Simulator unit, capable of exhibiting realistic symptoms of medical crises.


• Your Future - now this part of the exhibit takes an intrapersonal look at how we see ourselves, whether physically (the interactive 'aging' simulation portraits), through to the mental (the interests, hopes and dreams, organised into your very own online bucket-list) and even the experiences of others (from the experiences of centenerians through to your opportunity to contribute a fragment of your life story)

The reason why I cite this exhibit in this blog article is due to its innovative nature; you may recall much earlier in the blog that there is mention of the exhibit as a primary source of inspiration for hypothesising what Wonders would have strived to be had it remained alive and nurtured, rather than shuttered and sentenced into oblivion. In fact, comparing the aesthetics of the Wonders of Life as it was presented since 1989, as well as that of You! The Experience, it seems that the latter has more aesthetic updated potential that Wonders would have pled for (but nobody listened.) Even some components of the exhibit would have inspired me to organize Wonders attractions by group (see Operation Imagineer for a little more understanding), among a few more things.

But honestly, being the distant blogger I am, I do not have the access to try the exhibit in person, so I am inviting you bloggers to leave a comment with regards to You! The Experience, and how it would have helped Wonders of Life still into visitors eyes.

Noting that this summary article is only a page in the book, here are some resources and external blog articles if you would like some more information, or some more pictorial evidence on each of the featured attractions and their technologies.

• Pernot and Tatlin (2010) Pernot and Tatlin » You! the Experience. [online] Available at: http://pernotandtatlin.com/?p=91 [Accessed: 17 May 2012]. 
• The Voice Of Silence (2011) REPORT on “YOU!, THE EXPERIENCE” Exhibit
  at MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY. [online] Available at:
  http://voice-of-film.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/report-on-you-experience-exhibit-at.html
  [Accessed: 18 May 2012].
• Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (2009) Museum of Science and Industry | YOU! The Experience. [online] Available at: http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/you/ [Accessed: 21 May 2012].

If you have any information or experiences with the above exhibit (what do you think of it?) or have a request for an externally based human body/health/wellbeing centered exhibit that you would like WOL4EVA to cover, feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time, readers!

Attractions Toolkit - Sensory Overhaul

Welcome to the first issue of Attractions Toolkit, where we select one of the pavilion's existing attraction and list a few possible addons, subtractions or even replacement options to attract the next generation. This would tie in with the Potential WoL Resurrection ideas sections covered in Operation: Imagineer on this blog.

Here we look back at the playground of the senses in which we faithfully know as the Sensory Funhouse. While we know that the five senses are the primary tools of exploring the world around us, bear in mind that the sensory playground has practically become a part of every competing science museum's attraction belt (well, make that a selection of those in which would soon be covered in the Footsteps section of the blog).

 
To be honest, compared to a given handful of state-of-the-art technological attractions that once were the superiority of areas outside Epcot's border, it appears that the Sensory Funhouse has had a crisis of attempting to catch up. Some of the critics would have seen Sensory Funhouse as, by current standards, comparable to what other science museums have on offer (plus not to mention how it would have trodden on the pawprints of the original ImageWorks upstairs playground once existent in days gone by).

And also by current knowledge, it is no doubt that all parts of the Sensory Funhouse are uprooted and buried from public view, but thanks to a vast array of photographs capturing parts and highlights of the exhibit, it would prove helpful to explain what you'd find in the exhibit:

• Touchy Subjects - a gallery of physical objects (including an interactive guessing game on selecting the right object without peeking)
• Perplexion Pipes/Curious Coils - a thermo-interactive exhibit famed for its warm-to-cold temperatures of the pipes. (Remember, after handling both pipes, when you handled the pipe in the middle?)
• Audio Antics - binaural auditory guessing games, delivered to you by your headphones.
• Optical Illusions (name says it all)
• Crooked/Illusion Room - or commonly known as the Ames room exhibit, this played around with your perspective - the further occupants went into the room, the smaller they appeared, yet the room appears to stay the same.

(more information and photos present on LOST EPCOT.com "Sensory Funhouse" gallery)

Sure most of them are long gone, but suppose that it was possible to bring this kind of exhibit back, it would require an extensive overhaul to literally bring it back into speed, but this would mean taking advantage of any aesthetics, topics and even technological elements to further the experience. This means looking over the highlights of the past Sensory Funhouse, and even going as far as figuring out the missing gaps of what it might possibly have, after the jump...

Looking out for Number - Whaaaat?!

From a screenshot malfunction I picked out the other day...




...this reminded me at this time that when it comes to being alive, there are some tasks on the 'to do' list that aren't really glamorous. Elimination being one of them, and yet, we do it. This sounds TMI to freely admit in a society like this, but what boggles and raises my eyebrows out of humor is, well... Let's look at Bobby's black box and recall a quote from there...

Left Brain: Aren't you forgetting some... functions?
Buzzy: Uhm, Elimination, give me a reading!
Elimination: (checks reading) Bladder reading at 9.9, sir!
Buzzy: We can hold it. Full speed ahead!
Elimination: No! NO!

And yet, we reveal a plothole, primarily done to cleanly cut to the chase. But seriously?! They say if life gives one lemons, they would have to make lemonade. Though speaking of making lemonade from lemons (please don't take it as an euphemism), it would only be wise to mention that of whatever leaves us, somehow, there is always another mind out there willing to take advantage of what we take for granted...
...wait, they did? You mean those video game systems for urinals? Okay, so this is insanity for the average person, but add to the reduction of having to wipe up spilled puddles as a result of failed aim, some would say it could be a good idea, but waking up, this is a life and health focused blog, so what if there was something testing the health of...
...wait, such a thing exists too? Apparently, technology is developing that could, well, hook you up to a medical database during your ten minutes off, which could spell less awkward encounters at the doctors office.
And surely having one as part of the medical oddities showcase exhibit (if we were to be including one) could be a neutral idea (love it or loathe it). But a fully functioning one, I bet, could be the equivalent of, well, spilling and admitting your humiliating secrets to other people in earshot. But apparently, it could give someone something to think about... uhm... it's a long story.
So before the day bursts for all sorts of humiliating information, I'd rather leave that up to you readers to think it over, and express how you stand. And to close this off, let me ask you a question now this topic's dealt with: feeling better now?

Possibility 6: Running through Veins (and Arteries)

Oh, hello again, readers! Earlier in Possibilities, we've focused on what possible features could be perfect for the outside, physical aspects of life. Now in this issue, things are about to get much smaller... wait, red blood cell sized small, in fact. However, this article is far from small, and might contain a mouthful of research, so this better be worth it. What we're about to do is have a look back at the staple of Wonder's attraction sphere - the innerspace simulator ride.

Sure, love it or leave it, the Wonders of Life pavilion (wait, Life and Health?) planned to have their guests take a trip through the human body from the pavilion's very beginning dating from the late 70's. One person we would owe it all for such insightful ideas into a trip of this kind would be Frank Armitage, a former Imagineer who, during his prime, had done medical sketches showcasing parts of the body's organs, up close, and in all its anatomically spectacular glory. These formed the humble beginnings of a dark-ride inside the body, which in that time, was dubbed the Incredible Journey Within.

Concept art from the Incredible Journey Within; as found in http://progresscityusa.com/2010/04/20/epcot-origins-1977-master-plan-5/

Possibility 5: A Greater Race Ahead

Welcome back, readers, and hopefully, an eyecleanser after a dose of weirdness on the blog. In the last possibility post, there is a potential idea that would have given the Fitness Fairgrounds a decent resurrection (had it happened), in one way or another. In order to take the idea to the starting blocks, it is only fair to investigate its history beforehand.

As some of you would have known (or not), Fitness Fairgrounds was a selection of recreational activities to get people involved with the joys of fitness, and investigating their role in health habits. Some of those included the Wonder Cycles, and the demonstrative Coach's Corner, as seen below:

These images found at the LOST EPCOT Wonders of Life Picture Gallery

Possibility 4: Stepping into the Game

It's been more than a week since the 22nd anniversary of the Wonders of Life's introduction into Future World, and apart from a drought of scratch ideas (come on, a few armchair imagineers have come upon this one way or another), I have also been interested in a few potential technologies that is quickly becoming commonplace in the world of today. From the various gadgets in our pockets, it's no doubt immersed us into the many environments and scenarios we could only dream of being in. It's even used in many science museums of today, and also as part of a promotional campaign for National Geographic, as seen below:

Live Augmented Reality for National Geographic Channel / UPC from Appshaker Ltd on Vimeo.

Possibility 3: Sniffing at the Sensory Barrier

Welcome back, readers, and after a little research dive into one of the Wonders of Life's greatest hits of all time, it's time we start sniffing out another possibility used up in multiple attractions. No pun intended - we'll be sticking our noses and muzzles into the possibility of harnessing smellitiser technology to enhance exhibition sections. Sure, most attractions take advantage of such technological wizardry, even those that take advantage of our senses, but we might be sitting on a little goldmine here, with regards to how we might enhance the environment a little more.
After all, according to a little passage from Scent Sciences:

People respond deeply to scent, which enhances their experiences and connects deeply to their emotional memory.

Possibility 2: Try a Time Warp

Welcome back, readers. So I hope you've shook off your chocolate-hangovers from this weekend, because this week I have done some tweaking for this blog - this time, adding an extra page for all Wonders of Life related videos and media, as accessible from this page. It's under the Related Media tab on the left hand page. And now, we decide to take a peek in the head of Wonders' prime attractions and the unfortunate fate it met... or so we think...

Possibilitiy 1: Three Dee Vision

Welcome back, fellow readers. So far, there has been some interesting publicity happening with this blog, especially with the link being posted on a forum, for others to have a look. I have mentioned earlier that this blog will contain handfuls of *ahem* UNOFFICIAL Imagineering possibilities that might spell a reboot for the Wonders of Life pavilion.

...Or should I have said 'might have'?

Once upon a time, before this blog went to air, I did a lot more 'what-if' scenarios for bringing back the Pavilion to its former glory. I had scribbled in some notes, comparisons and even the odd comment on how the Wonders of Life would have been treated, if brought back correctly. Had you came to my place and had a look at the pieces of paper that contained them, you'll just shrug and pass this off as 'meh, nothing special'.
Until today, this fateful day...