UWM Seismic Display

While the Thomas Greene Gallery is a magnificent display of fossils and minerals, there are a few other displays that deserve some attention. UWM has been the site of a continuously operating seismometer since the 1970’s (UWM seismic virtual tour). The main display case in the Greene Gallery houses a 65-inch television that displays real-time continuous seismic data that is then streamed across the screen.It is always interesting when a significant earthquake is arriving at UWM and the screen looks all full of wiggles.

Augmented Reality Virtual Sandbox

Another exhibit on display in the Greene Gallery is the Augmented Reality Sandbox. The display is designed to allow users to create topography models by shaping real sand, which is then augmented in real time by an elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water. As the sand is moved around. The 3-D camera recalculates the topographic height of the sand and redraws the topographic lines. Also, the user can place their hand over the sand and the display will begin to simulate rain over the topography.