News

Miami children's hospital snapping 'Shell-fies' with digital signage aquarium

Interactive experience firm Intermedia Touch and Miami's Nicklaus Children's Hospital, part of Miami Children's Health System, have deployed an interactive digital signage aquarium, called "Shell-fie," to entertain children of all ages, allowing them to virtually put themselves in the aquarium.

October 5, 2015

Interactive experience firm Intermedia Touch and Miami's Nicklaus Children's Hospital, part of Miami Children's Health System, have collaborated to design and implement an interactive digital signage aquarium, called "Shell-fie," to entertain children of all ages, Intermedia Touch announced.

Two interactive tablets coupled with an interactive, 90-inch enclosed display, are designed to make the children a part of the vividly colored aquarium.

Patients and families waiting in the hospital's emergency department can create a fish version of themselves by taking a selfie, or "Shell-fie," with the wall-mounted tablets, and have their likeness displayed on the different fish floating around the digital aquarium. Photos are used only with parent's permission, and are deleted after 30 minutes.

Alternatively, the guests at Nicklaus Children's Hospital ER can forgo the Shell-fie portion of the digital aquarium and interact with the fish in the tank. When the fish floating around the display are touched, they are designed to react in "hilariously entertaining ways," the company said. Some of the fish will swim away, some will wave at visitors, others will blow bubbles and some of the aquatic life, such as the puffer fish, will expand like a balloon when someone interacts with them.

"Enhancing our patient's experience through innovation is of utmost priority for us at Miami Children's Health System," said Ed Martinez, SVP and CIO. "We saw an opportunity in the interactive displays to provide pediatric patients with hands-free entertainment, which helps prevent the spread of infection and further improve the safety of all patients in our care."