A Virutal Adventure through the Sumatran Rainforest with ArtScience’s ‘Into the Wild’

Take a virtual journey through one of Sumatra’s last untouched rainforests at ArtScience Museum – for FREE!

What a time to be alive, mama – now you can plant a tree in Sumatra without even being there. We’re talking about ArtScience Museum’s latest permanent development in collaboration with Lenovo, Google and WWF Singapore, Into the Wild, which takes you through an augmented reality (AR) adventure through the Rimbang Baling rainforest in Sumatra.

As one of Sumatra’s last pristine rainforests untouched by rampant deforestation, Rimbang Baling is a vital territory for many critically endangered animals such as pangolins, tapirs, mousedeers and orangutans, and is home to 25 of the 371 Sumatran Tigers in the wild – all of whom you’ll meet on the virtual reality adventure.

The experience is fairly simple and quick to complete – perfect for antsy kiddos. Head straight to Basement 2 of the ArtScience Museum (no tickets needed!) and you’ll be presented with a Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, the world’s first Tango-enabled smartphone. Thanks to the Tango software’s area learning, depth sensing and motion tracking capabilities, you’ll be taken through the rainforest and release animals from poacher traps, warn them of incoming forest fires and learn more about other wildlife in the rainforest habitat.

And if you’re worried about your fidgety tykes dropping the device, don’t be – the smartphone will be sealed and well protected, with ergonomic handles (see top image for reference!). Once you’ve completed the missions in B2, head up to Level 4 to plant your tree!

Into the Wild ends with a cinematic experience directed by leading local filmmaker Brian Gothong Tan. The same state-of-the-art animation used in the AR experience is projected onto a massive screen, showing the perspective of the five endangered animals, complete with real-world data about them and the forests of Southeast Asia. With every virtual tree planted at the end of the mission, coupled with a pledge to World Wildlife Federation (WWF), a real tree will be planted in Rimbang Baling to restore its tiger corridor. The best part? You’ll get the exact coordinates of your tree and updates on its growth and progress.

It’s really as close as you can get to the real thing, mama, and we just know you and your kiddos will feel empowered to make a difference once you’ve placed yourself in the shoes of a WWF ranger in Rimbang Baling. If you’re keen on contributing to WWF on a long-term scale to help these rangers better equip themselves for their immensely dangerous jobs, consider donating to any of their support funds – from providing education to children of rangers, to funding their annual health checkups and even providing maternity cover for female rangers.

Into the Wild: An Immersive Virtual Adventure is now on at ArtScience Museum Basement 2, ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956, Tel: (+65) 6688 8868, www.marinabaysands.com/artsciencemuseum