Aromatherapy Interactive Exhibition Design

•

Graduation Project - Tsinghua University

Project Summary

Traditional Chinese medicine is an important part of Chinese culture, and is also a culture that the Chinese Culture Center wants future generations to understand, inherit and carry forward, by using rich exhibition methods. This study is based on a traditional approach to Chinese medicine: “Aromatherapy”, and uses the aroma of herbs, through interactive smell, to make people understand and learn how to use herbal scent to maintain physical and mental balance, thus improving quality of life. The main focus of this study is to improve the sense of fun and enhance the interactive experience of smell-related exhibition design, allowing the viewers to feel the soothing power that Aromatherapy brings to their body, while stimulating their interest and desire to use Aromatherapy in future also.

Display Effects

My project design concept is to integrate modern technology into traditional Chinese medicine expressions and environments, offering a refreshing experience for visitors.

As a traditional cultural heritage of China, traditional Chinese medicine has its unique ways of expression. In an exhibition environment centered on traditional Chinese medicine, antique furniture, lighting, and table arrangements can help visitors better immerse themselves in the culture of traditional Chinese medicine. For the exhibition design, I adopted a background layout that is similar to traditional Chinese medicine cabinets, including medicine cabinets with the names of various Chinese herbs written on each drawer, and wood-like colors and textures. The tabletops are wrapped in faux wood stickers, and the "incense burners" use ultrasonic atomizers with wood-like textures, while the related containers are glass jars that allow people to clearly see the contents. In addition, some common Chinese herbs are placed on the table as decorations, such as long cinnamon barks and round white cardamoms. These commonly seen herbs on the tabletop can give people the feeling of being in an ancient Chinese herbal medicine store. Inside the "medicine store," I hope to encourage visitors to touch and smell the herbs through this kind of arrangement, which can create a fun, highly interactive and direct way of engagement. This approach can help visitors connect the image and smell of traditional Chinese herbs, leaving them with a deep impression.

Technique Methods

The technology used in my project includes NFC recognition, remote control, ultrasonic spray. The technologies are for the better interaction of this work.

The specific display of the booth includes a wooden tabletop with an electronic label reader/writer and computer, N glass medicine bottles with electronic labels containing Chinese herbal materials, display screens, and an incense burner connected to a WIFI smart switch. Because the focus of the booth is on the traditional and holistic aspects of a Chinese herbal medicine store, high-tech devices need to be properly concealed. For example, NFC cards will be pasted on the bottom of the medicine bottles, and the reader and computer used to identify the NFC cards will be arranged underneath the tabletop and guided appropriately for visitors to place the medicine bottles in the correct position. The ultrasonic atomizer used for dispersing scent must be placed on the tabletop, while the smart switch and wires can be hidden behind or underneath the tabletop accordingly. During the process of guiding visitors, projections can also be displayed on the tabletop, which integrates multimedia with the overall environment.

Design Implementation

The first part of the exhibition is called "Recognize the herb". Visitors could grab a glass bottle and put the bottle on the NFC reader. The screen at the back will then show the animation which introduce the herb to the visitors.

The exhibits are arranged on a 2.4m x 1.2m booth, and visitors can start their experience from the left side. The first section is the "Identify Herbs" part. A tabletop guide sign directs visitors to place the randomly placed Chinese herb bottles on a designated spot (i.e., above the NFC card reader decorated with the "Qi-Xi" logo), and the screen immediately responds by displaying relevant educational videos that introduce the principles of aroma therapy using Chinese herbs.

The second section of the booth is the "Scent Experience." In this section, visitors follow the guide sign and select any Chinese herb name on their phone screen. After clicking the button-shaped switch, the corresponding atomizer on the tabletop will start to operate. Each of the four containers containing Chinese herb essential oils is equipped with a small ultrasonic levitator, and the four ultrasonic devices are completely independent, relying solely on the visitor's control of the switch on their phone. The scents of different Chinese herb essential oils are very strong and distinct, and visitors can use their hands to waft the scent towards their nose to smell it.