Farming impacts all individuals, from the fruits and vegetables we eat to the milk we drink. Yet, not many people know where their food comes from, or the intricacies of what farmers do. It’s a multi-faceted topic: from the ins and outs of dairy farming to the complexities of growing different crops.
Fair Oaks Farms, established in 2004, aims to give its visitors a better understanding of farming and the future of agriculture through an experiential museum that makes learning hands-on and interactive.
The Challenge
Attracting a wide range of visitors including student field trips, families, business trips, and bus tours, Fair Oaks strives to ensure its museum attractions are engaging and dynamic.
Fair Oaks is dedicated to developing high-quality, educational content to fuel interactive visual displays. For instance, one display features a touch-screen map of the United States where visitors can tap images to learn about dairy farmers in different states. Another attraction includes projection-mapped visuals that make visitors feel as if they are standing in a forest.
However, the farm needed to find the right technology to power these experiences. Previously, their displays were inconsistent and would occasionally turn off, showing a blank screen. This interrupted the immersive nature of the experience, and the blank screens meant visitors weren’t learning anything.
The farm initially considered installing new mini-PCs and rebuilding the apps for them, which would have been a time-consuming process. Fair Oaks ultimately found a better solution with BrightSign.
The Solution
Fair Oaks decided to deploy the BrightSign XC4055 (part of the XC5 product line) along with the HD1025 (part of the HD5 product line). These players replaced the mini-PCs they had been using and now support multiple use cases, including:
- Displaying a video that immerses guests in the world of farming.
- Powering a touchscreen map of the United States that lets visitors select different videos to watch, highlighting dairy farmers in each state.
- Running a projection-mapped forest display that immerses visitors in the way farming and agriculture intersect with the local environment.
- Powering the Stemmie’s Lab – an interactive space for visitors to see and learn more about agriculture and the dairy industry.
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The media players integrate seamlessly with motion sensors to make the exhibits more interactive for visitors. For example, educators can program digital exhibits that leverage RFID tagging and motion sensing (in partnership with Nexmosphere) to trigger a specific video or game for certain visitor groups. This delivers a customized experience for new or repeat guests.
With dual and quad HDMI outputs, 3D WebGL HTML5 performance, and high-quality video capabilities, the XC4055 powers amazing visuals that inspire and engage visitors. Content for the exhibits can be built right on BrightAuthor:connected, allowing Fair Oaks to effortlessly design, publish, and manage experiences. The team can easily test the content in their office then have it work immediately in the museum. This made for a seamless deployment process.
The Benefits
Fair Oaks has been pleased with the reliability of the new BrightSign solutions. Their previous setup required multiple steps to turn on the devices and power up the activations. Now, staff can come in, press a button, and know it will all work once powered on. With zero downtime issues from the BrightSignOS™ and BrightSign hardware, guests spend more time engaging with the digital content.
Employees can now spend more time interacting with guests since they don’t have to worry about the exhibit technology. And if they do run into an issue, the players are easier to access and troubleshoot. The previous mini-PC setup would run into issues due to overheating, and they were placed in small cabinets that were difficult to access. Once they were accessed, the team had to wait for the computer to power off and cool down before they could turn it on again. The small size of BrightSign’s media players made it easy to position them right up against a display for faster access. The BrightSign XC4055 also maximized efficiency for Fair Oaks. They can now run multiple displays with the single multi-output player.
Powered by the BrightSignOS operating system, the BrightSign XC4055 and HD1025 guarantee the long-lasting, reliable performance Fair Oaks needs. Plus, BrightSignOS supports the system’s scalability, giving the museum the freedom to innovate the exhibits in the years ahead without having to worry about implementing new technology.
Deploying the BrightSign players was seamless – it was a quick transition from the former mini-PC set-up. Guests didn’t notice a delay or lag, which was ideal.
“The BrightSign XC4055 has become integral to our operations,” said Brock Gorrell, Director of Museum and Tour Operations of Fair Oaks Farms. “It powers stunning visuals, allowing us to captivate our audience and immerse them in the world of farming. Plus, its dual and quad HDMI outputs combined with its powerful operating system allow for a more reliable and efficient user experience. This empowers our team to deliver dynamic and engaging educational experiences for our diverse audience.”
Conclusion
With digital signage players from BrightSign, Fair Oaks Farms was able to create a more reliable and consistent museum experience for guests — and streamline workflows for employees.
Looking ahead, the museum hopes to explore more features that will make it possible for the immersive experience to come to life on its own with minimal input or oversight.
Innovative, multi-sensory experiences like the ones offered by Fair Oaks truly immerse visitors in a topic to enhance their understanding of complex subjects. These types of exhibitions will play an important role in the future of museum and educational experiences.
