Exhibit designers for the National Museum of the United States Army are bringing technology and history together so that Museum visitors can customize their experience based on their interest in a particular era and/or military topic.
The Founding the Nation, Preserving the Nation, and the Global War sub-galleries each feature a “Battle History Interactive” area that will encourage visitors to further explore the American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II, respectively.
Within the Founding the Nation sub-gallery, a large interactive map of the Atlantic seaboard will illustrate the chronology of the Revolutionary War along the eastern coast. Images, music, sound effects, and narration will enhance this overview of the war. Just below this map, visitors will find a “Battle History Interactive” station with touch screens displaying historical images from that era and suggestions to learn more about how the Army fought the American Revolution. For example, the welcome screen will lead to queries – “Are you interested in learning more about a significant American Revolution battle such as Cowpens, Monmouth, or Trenton?” Or, “Would you like to explore a specific aspect of a battle which was necessary for the Continental Army to wage war against the British?”
When a visitor decides to explore a specific battle, the interactive screen will generate battle descriptions, battle maps, and archival images to examine. The visitor who elects to learn more about how the Continental Army fought the war will be able to select among six distinct topics—strategy, tactics, weapon systems, command and control systems, logistics, and organization for combat—and explore that specific aspect of battle in detail. If a visitor wants to delve even deeper into that topic, the kiosk will provide information from other eras and areas in the Museum and activate a feature which compares and contrasts that topic during the Revolutionary War with how the Army applied it in the Civil War, World War II, and the Global War on Terrorism.
The Preserving the Nation sub-gallery will also host a “Battle History Interactive” station which begins appropriately with a Civil War focus and the Global War sub-gallery interactive station begins with a focus on World War II.
The “Battle History Interactives” will serve as a unifying element by providing a variety of ways for the visitor to connect and learn more about significant battles and Army tactics throughout the Army’s storied history. These additional maps, images, and detailed descriptions also will provide a deeper understanding of the many battles and wars fought by our Soldiers.
