The Explore More Collections lab located on Level 1 of the Museum features thousands of treasures for guests to examine and learn more about. The one-of-a-kind lab displays a variety of objects from Discovery Place’s Collections department and what can be discovered within the lab is everchanging.

Located just behind the Museum’s beloved bears, Explore More Collections is an opportunity to peek behind the curtain to see the wondrous items Discovery Place has archived over the years. But sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin once you arrive in the space.

Now, thanks to help from five seniors from UNC Charlotte’s Lee College of Engineering, guests have a virtual guide to help them explore during their next visit to the lab.

The engineering students worked on the project for two semesters as part of the college’s Engineering Senior Design program where students work on industry projects to fulfill their course requirements. The engineering students worked with Discovery Place Science team members to create and build an interactive research station where guests can take items from the lab, scan them and discover oodles of additional information about a particular object.

“The work of these students has really established another way for us to expand the educational information we are able to share with our visitors about many of the objects and artifacts we have at the Museum,” said Heather Norton, vice president of Science and Nature at Discovery Place. “With more than 70,000 items in our Collections Department, we hope to continue to grow the database and carry on what this project has started for us.”

The project was completed through a grant obtained by UNC Charlotte from the Bosch Community Fund, which works to enhance STEM education within the community. Discovery Place has collaborated with the university on similar grant-funded projects over the years, including a topographic sand table.

Next time you’re at the Museum, be sure to stop by Explore More Collections to test out this amazing new feature.