They’re life sized. They’re smart. And they can see you. What they do next is up to them!
Ten artificially intelligent prehistoric beasts have been set loose in QUT’s digital Dino Zoo.
The free, all-ages installation at QUT’s The Cube marks the first time anywhere people can interact with nine iconic dinosaurs and the largest flying reptile ever to live. It’s a world first in combining large-scale interaction and the latest scientific understanding about dinosaurs.
Cube Studio manager Sean Druitt, whose team of video game developers created the zoo, said laser sensors along the floor allowed the animals to detect the locations and heights of nearby humans, and respond as a real dino would.
“Dino Zoo really is as close to a Jurassic World experience as you can possibly get – and it’s based on hard evidence and scientific understanding. Our animals live just on the other side of the glass, and none of them have broken out yet,” Mr Druitt said.
“The herbivores probably won’t take much notice of you but the Tyrannosaurus and Australovenator might think you’re on the menu, so please be careful!”
Mr Druitt’s team worked closely with renowned Australian palaeontologist and dinosaur expert Dr Scott Hocknull over 12 months to build the most scientifically accurate dinosaurs and pterosaurs, based on the latest cutting-edge palaeontological research from across the globe.
Each species has been given an artificial intelligence so they can make their own decisions about moving, hunting, grazing and even resting in their natural digital environment.
“This is a zoo in the true sense of the word – we’ve set the animals loose behind the glass and we can’t control what they do or when they do it,” Mr Druitt said.
“You could literally come in five days in a row and each time get a unique experience.”
Dr Hocknull, Senior Curator for Queensland Museum’s Geosciences program, said Dino Zoo included five of the world’s most-loved ancient reptiles - including the Tyrannosaurus rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Archaeopteryx and Quetzalcoatlus.
It also includes five Australian dinosaurs that have never before been animated with scientific precision, including Queensland’s own Muttaburrasaurus and Australovenator, nicknamed Banjo.
“After discovering, describing and naming Australovenator, it’s an incredible experience to help bring this killing machine to life and set it free into its digital enclosure – a proud palaeontologist moment, for me,” he said.
“Everything in the Dino Zoo has been built from scratch - dinosaurs, rocks, landscape, plants and even insects!
“We used direct evidence from the fossil record to rebuild these extinct animals and their environment. We also observed their closest living relatives - birds and crocodiles – and this gave us the perfect palette to bring the Dino Zoo world to life.
“Each aspect has scientific checks and evidence backing it up, along with careful analysis and testing. We have really gone to the nth degree to get it right as well as for it to be fun, educational and entertaining.”
Dino Zoo also includes a range of activities on The Cube’s touch screens, including:
- a digital dig pit that teaches young palaeontologists the process involved in uncovering prehistoric bones
- an interactive Earth timeline that visualises tectonic plate movement throughout history
- a mass extinction simulator.
QUT has also developed associated STEM education workshops for visiting high school groups. These workshops link directly with the Australian national curriculum.
During January, QUT is running two floors’ of free holiday dinosaur fun for all ages, including dinosaur craft, documentaries and video games.
The holiday Dino Zoo experience runs every day 10am – 4pm at QUT’s Science and Engineering Centre, home of The Cube, until Wednesday January 27, 2016.
The Cube is the world’s largest interactive learning display space.
QUT is part of a national collaborative group of five major Australian universities that form the ATN (Australian Technology Network of Universities).
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Media contacts:
Kate Haggman, QUT Media, +61 7 3138 0358, kate.haggamn@qut.edu.au
After hours Rose Trapnell +61 407 585 901, media@qut.edu.au
