Engineering IT helps bring research vision to museum experience

Innovative ideas often begin with conversation. When the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering was invited to contribute an interactive multimedia exhibit showcasing the coral reef research of The Grainger College of Engineering led by MechSE professor Amy Wagoner Johnson, they partnered with Engineering IT to explore how technology could help bring that vision to life.

Developed in collaboration with Krannert Art Museum and MechSE Communications, with iPads on loan from the School of Art and Design, the exhibit invites visitors to explore videos and multimedia content through an intuitive touch-screen experience, making Illinois research accessible to a broad public audience. Installation of the multimedia experience will be completed soon, and is part of the "Stitching Ecologies: Urbana-Champaign Satellite Crochet Coral Reef" exhibit on display now through October 24, 2026. 

From the outset, Engineering IT worked alongside MechSE to understand the goals of the exhibit and identify the best path forward. The Application Development team collaborated closely with the department to design a web-based experience that would be engaging for museum visitors while remaining simple to navigate. As planning progressed, the project presented a new challenge: how to securely deploy the application on iPads while creating a seamless experience for visitors.

Rather than approaching the challenge from a single technical perspective, Engineering IT brought together expertise from multiple teams. The Application Development and Audio-Visual Services teams evaluated options together, combining their knowledge of web applications, device management, and digital display technologies. The resulting solution allows for use of an iPad that launches directly into the interactive exhibit while remaining securely locked into the intended experience.

The finished exhibit will reflect the strengths of a collaborative approach. Illinois Grainger engineers brought the research and vision, MechSE Communications wrote the research story and produced the videos, the Engineering IT Application Development team created the interactive experience, and the Engineering IT Audio-Visual Services team developed a secure and dependable deployment strategy. Together, the teams transformed a complex technical challenge into an engaging museum-quality installation that will connect visitors with Illinois research in a meaningful way.

Projects like this illustrate how successful outcomes often emerge when different perspectives and areas of expertise come together around a shared goal. By working collaboratively throughout the project, MechSE and Engineering IT were able to create an experience that was both technically sound and centered on the needs of museum visitors. This project is one example of what can be accomplished when technology and academic innovation are developed together.

Acknowledgments:

Amy Wagoner Johnson (PI), Rosa Espinosa-Marzal (co-PI), Rachel Berry, Taylor Parks, Julia Park, Josh Potts, Kevin Li, and Luther Young.

Disclosure: Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) was used to assist with drafting and editing portions of this article. All facts, content, and final editorial decisions were reviewed and approved by Engineering IT staff.