Imagine you could build a rocket out of the existing furniture in a museum during a small workshop and fly it to Mars using augmented reality – would you like to?
Science centers, museums and maker spaces are no longer just exhibition spaces – they are hotspots for creative minds, inspiring explorers and curious researchers of all ages. This is where science becomes tangible, tangible and, above all, exciting. But what really makes these spaces fit for the future?
We are convinced that the combination of flexible furnishings and modern technology can provide new impetus for the design of exhibition spaces. Imagine a space that can be variably adapted to different ideas and projects – supplemented by digital tools that make content tangible. Xbrick®, our modular furniture system, and the Xplore app with augmented reality functionality contribute to this by expanding the scope for design and supporting creative processes.
Xbrick® is a flexible piece of furniture that enables a variety of spatial arrangements thanks to its intuitive handling – light, quiet, stackable and combinable. It is not only suitable as a functional element, but also as a learning module that trains spatial perception and supports creative processes. In combination with the Xplore app, it also opens up the possibility of integrating augmented reality content into learning and exhibition spaces in a playful way. For example, scenarios such as the construction of a Mars base or digital satellite simulations can be experienced immersively – as an impetus for collaborative work, research-based learning and new forms of science communication.
Maker spaces and workshop rooms in science centers, museums and planetariums are places that are designed to promote creativity, innovation and collaborative learning. And these dynamic environments place high demands on the furnishings. The furniture is a practical tool for makers, as it should not only be functional and flexible, but can also create an inspiring atmosphere.
Here are the key challenges when furnishing such spaces in detail:
Maker spaces bring together very different target groups – from curious school classes and families with young children to specialized workshops for adults or professionals.
The variety of events in these rooms – from creative craft workshops to interactive lectures and presentations – requires furniture that can be easily rearranged.
Xbrick® is a furniture system that is flexible, versatile and perfectly adapted to the requirements of modern learning and workshop environments. Whether in science centers, maker spaces or interactive exhibitions – Xbrick® offers countless possibilities for designing spaces creatively and sustainably.
Xbrick® is more than just a piece of furniture – it’s a solution for dynamic spaces that are constantly changing. The modules are lightweight, robust and designed to be easily stacked, combined and adapted. They therefore provide a basis that is just as changeable as the ideas that arise in your rooms.
Our Xbrick®s are real all-rounders and can be used in a variety of ways:
We not only care about functionality, but also about the world around us. Xbrick® is made from unmixed, 100% recyclable expanded polypropylene (EPP) – a material that consists of 96% air. This makes Xbrick® not only particularly lightweight, but also fully recyclable at the end of its long product life cycle.
We at wd3 are convinced that sustainability is not only reflected in the material, but also in its service life and versatility. Xbrick® is durable, functional and adapts flexibly to different situations and needs – ideal for educational institutions, museums or science centers where robust, versatile solutions are required.
Xbrick® is produced in southern Germany – with short delivery routes, reliable regional partners and socially responsible assembly in the Remstal workshops. This is how we shape sustainability along the entire value chain – transparent, local and people-centered.
With Xbrick®, you can create spaces that are as flexible as your ideas. The combination of easy handling, modular versatility and sustainable design makes our furniture system the ideal solution for modern and interactive learning environments.
The Xplore app expands the possibilities of Xbrick® with digital experiences. In combination, they create an innovative concept that seamlessly connects the physical and digital worlds.
Education and gamification:
The app conveys knowledge in a playful and interactive way. Young target groups in particular are attracted by the combination of physical elements and digital experiences.
Diverse topics:
The focus of the app is the challenge to build a rocket with the Xbrick® and set up a base on Mars. This is supplemented by additional tasks and functions: For example, animals of the appropriate size are displayed depending on the distance of the Xbrick® built. There is also a simple measuring function that shows the distance, surface area and volume of the scanned Xbrick®.
Das lässt Spielraum für eigene Fragestellungen.
Easy to use:
The app’s user interface is intuitively designed. Both employees and visitors can use the app without any prior knowledge. It can be installed on any iPad via the AppStoe and then also works without a Wi-Fi connection.
In this workshop, participants immerse themselves interactively in the topic of space travel. The combination of the modular Xbrick® elements and the Xplore app creates a dynamic learning space in which physical building and digital augmented reality experiences intertwine. Complex scientific content can thus be experienced in a creative, practical and playful way.
The course of the workshop
– Discovering the solar system
Each Xbrick® stands for a planet that becomes visible via augmented reality.
The task: arrange the planets in the correct order in space – an introduction to systematic thinking and spatial work.
– Journey to Mars
In the next step, the participants build a rocket together – six Xbrick® modules represent different rocket parts.
After successfully setting up and solving further tasks, the virtual flight to Mars begins.
Exciting facts about space are taught along the way.
– Build a Mars station
On arrival at the destination, the task is to construct a base camp – with antennas at the correct height or solar panels in precise alignment.
Once again, construction is carried out using the Xbrick® modules, supported by digital instructions via AR.
1. digital experience: augmented reality in action
The Xplore app expands the physical gameplay with digital content – planets, spaceships and information appear directly in space.
2. creative exchange: teamwork for science
The tasks require cooperation, communication and creative thinking.
The workshop promotes joint problem-solving and makes science an active experience.
– Discovering the solar system
Each Xbrick® stands for a planet that becomes visible via augmented reality.
The task: arrange the planets in the correct order in space – an introduction to systematic thinking and spatial work.
– Journey to Mars
In the next step, the participants build a rocket together – six Xbrick® modules represent different rocket parts.
After successfully setting up and solving further tasks, the virtual flight to Mars begins.
Exciting facts about space are taught along the way.
– Build a Mars station
On arrival at the destination, the task is to construct a base camp – with antennas at the correct height or solar panels in precise alignment.
Once again, construction is carried out using the Xbrick® modules, supported by digital instructions via AR.
1. digital experience: augmented reality in action
The Xplore app expands the physical gameplay with digital content – planets, spaceships and information appear directly in space.
2. creative exchange: teamwork for science
The tasks require cooperation, communication and creative thinking.
The workshop promotes joint problem-solving and makes science an active experience.
We see our work as an invitation: to develop further, to collaborate, to help shape things.
Whether in the classroom, in a maker space or in a museum – our modules and tools provide inspiration on how to combine analog and digital elements in a meaningful way. Not everything is perfect yet, but this is precisely why now is the right time to try out new things together.
If you are interested in thinking ahead with us, we look forward to hearing from you. For us, bringing science to life means staying curious, being open – and shaping it together.
wd3 GmbH
Seidenstraße 57
70174 Stuttgart
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