{"id":20490,"date":"2016-11-18T17:58:23","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T22:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/bringing-tech-to-the-zoo-the-digital-transformation-of-zoo-atlanta\/"},"modified":"2016-11-18T18:03:51","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T23:03:51","slug":"bringing-tech-to-the-zoo-the-digital-transformation-of-zoo-atlanta","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/bringing-tech-to-the-zoo-the-digital-transformation-of-zoo-atlanta\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing Tech to the Zoo: The Digital Transformation of Zoo Atlanta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to learn about animal-computer interaction (ACI) in modern-day zoos?\u00a0 Ask Madu, a pivotal member of the Apps for Apes team at Zoo Atlanta[1]<\/a>.\u00a0 Using games on a touchscreen computer designed for orangutans, her team tries to enrich the visitor experience and prompt visitors\u2019 empathy by showing how orangutans are \u201cjust like us.\u201d[2]<\/a>,[3]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0 In doing so, Apps for Apes aims to bring attention (and funding) to the plight of endangered wild orangutans, a population that has declined by ~70% over the last century primarily due to illegal destruction of their habitats. [4]<\/a>,[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

Technological innovation is valued by visitors to the orangutan exhibit, who gave an average score of 5.7 (on a scale of 1-7, where 1 was \u201cstrongly disagree\u201d and 7 was \u201cstrongly agree\u201d) to the statement \u201cTechnology\u2026enhances the zoo experience.\u201d[6]<\/a>\u00a0 Madu\u2019s Apps for Apes program also provides enrichment for the orangutans, which can otherwise become depressed and lethargic in captivity.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

Did I mention that Madu is a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan?<\/p>\n