Connected Earth Museum

Problem

The links between temperature, fires, population, emissions and air quality are hard for the public to see in separate datasets.

Solution

A React/three.js museum modelled in Blender: a guide character leads visitors along a spline path; clicking paintings opens a 3D globe with time series (land and ocean temperature, vegetation, emissions, population, wildfires), 2D maps linking fire hotspots, precipitation and wind, and population with emissions and real-time air quality, ending with a quiz mini-game.

Demo moment

Team-described: step into a painting and land inside a data visualization of the planet.

Why it stood out

• organizer statedWon the award for most effectively combining technical and creative skills.Source ↗
• organizer statedAn immersive virtual museum where an AI host guides users through 3D and 2D visualizations of temperature, population density, wildfires and more.Source ↗
• team statedBuilt its own museum model, baked lighting and a path spline editor rather than using a template.Source ↗
• curator inferenceA museum is a format everyone understands, so the data exploration needs no instructions — the art award rewards that pairing of craft and data.

Lessons for your next hackathon

• Put data inside a familiar place (a museum) so exploring it feels natural.
• Craft visible in 3D assets counts as depth for an art-and-technology award.
• LATAM precedent: a student team from Brazil won Art & Technology.