Bugtopia

Open Daily
10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Outside the Animal Discovery Zone

Accessible

Discover what it's like to see your favorite bugs up close and personal with augmented reality! Scan QR codes to create 3D models of astonishing animals that you can explore with your family to investigate what makes them unique. Then, you can work together to figure out what your new friends eat and feed them to help care for the critters!

Family Talk Tips

Adult stating, "I notice it looks bumpy!" and child answering, "It reminds me of a basketball!"

Adult asking child, "What do you notice?" and child answering, "The wings have polka dots!"

Get your child talking to accelerate their science learning!

Encourage observation and connection:

What do you notice about how the animal looks/moves/behaves?
What body parts can you identify and what do they do?
Does it remind you of anything else you’ve seen in other animals, plants, or objects? Why?

Encourage questions and predictions:

Based on what you’ve observed, what do you predict that it eats? What evidence have you gathered to support your prediction?
What do you call an animal that eats only _____?
- Herbivores have mouthparts that chew (as in leaves) and suck (as in nectar)
- Carnivores eat other animals, and in general, are active and powerful. Some carnivores are arachnids and use their fangs to liquefy and drink up their prey.
- Detritivores feed on dead or decaying animal and plant material (as in carrion, dung, or leaf litter)
- Insects can switch feeding types at different life stages. Some don’t even eat as adults!

Why bugs?

We use the word ‘bug’ in the name, but all the critters are actually animals
Animal Discovery Zone (ADZ) animals aren’t always visible or active in their enclosures. There are more than 20 different vertebrate species and 10 different invertebrates species in the ADZ! How many animals in Bugtopia can you find in the ADZ collection?
The animals in Bugtopia are fun to talk about! They are visually striking, currently in the ADZ, or local to the Bay Area. Find out more about them below.
We designed the exhibit so that visitors can feed the animals, something that helps people feel a connection with the animals and build empathy for them

How does the augmented reality work?

The code is read by the program and the 3D model is generated and overlaid over the video feed
The 3D models overlay over the video look realistic and allow you to experience interacting with the bugs, people report a stronger emotional response to seeing the bugs like they are real.
Getting to interact with and feed the animals invites exploration and discovery and promotes conversation between adults and children
The AR program was designed by Eddie Carbin, a creative technologist whose goal is to create meaningful experiences that leverage emerging technologies.

Uncover Fascinating Facts about the World of Insects!

all bugs

Acknowledgement

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (Grant #MG-40-18-0005-18). The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this presentation do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Thank you to the Essig Museum of Entomology at UC Berkeley who provided expert consultation about the bugs, as well as their support in taking microscope photos of them from actual bugs in their collection. Check out the gallery below!