{"slug":"connected-earth-museum","name":"Connected Earth Museum","hackathon":"nasa-space-apps-2024","tagline":"Walk a 3D virtual museum where each painting opens a live NASA data visualization of how Earth's systems connect.","placement":{"status":"track-winner","awards":["Art & Technology"],"track":"imagine-our-connected-earth"},"team":{"size":6,"members":[],"countries":["BR"]},"problem":"The links between temperature, fires, population, emissions and air quality are hard for the public to see in separate datasets.","solution":"A React/three.js museum modelled in Blender: a guide character leads visitors along a spline path; clicking paintings opens a 3D globe with time series (land and ocean temperature, vegetation, emissions, population, wildfires), 2D maps linking fire hotspots, precipitation and wind, and population with emissions and real-time air quality, ending with a quiz mini-game.","demo_moment":"Team-described: step into a painting and land inside a data visualization of the planet.","build_style":"software-only","tech":{"stack":["react","three-js","blender","github-pages","nasa-firms","sedac","modis","mopitt","air-quality-api"],"ai_patterns":["generative-media"]},"domains":["climate-sustainability","earth-observation","creative-media"],"analysis":{"why_it_stood_out":[{"claim":"Won the award for most effectively combining technical and creative skills.","basis":"organizer-stated","source":1},{"claim":"An immersive virtual museum where an AI host guides users through 3D and 2D visualizations of temperature, population density, wildfires and more.","basis":"organizer-stated","source":0},{"claim":"Built its own museum model, baked lighting and a path spline editor rather than using a template.","basis":"team-stated","source":2},{"claim":"A museum is a format everyone understands, so the data exploration needs no instructions — the art award rewards that pairing of craft and data.","basis":"curator-inference"}],"mechanisms":["familiar-thing-new-job","expert-data-for-everyone","visible-engineering-depth","complete-submission-package"],"judging_lens":["design-ux","storytelling-pitch","technical-depth"],"lessons":["Put data inside a familiar place (a museum) so exploring it feels natural.","Craft visible in 3D assets counts as depth for an art-and-technology award.","LATAM precedent: a student team from Brazil won Art & Technology."],"confidence":"high"},"links":{"project_page":"https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/find-a-team/connected-earth-museum/?tab=project","demo":"https://connected-earth.github.io/connected-earth-museum/","video":"https://youtu.be/hOUBkhFR_cE"},"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nasa.gov/learning-resources/stem-engagement-at-nasa/nasa-international-space-apps-challenge-announces-2024-global-winners/","kind":"official-results","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14"},{"url":"https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/awards/","kind":"official-event-page","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14","note":"Award definition."},{"url":"https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/nasa-space-apps-2024/find-a-team/connected-earth-museum/?tab=project","kind":"project-page","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14","note":"Team-written tour, visualizations, technical details, AI-use disclosure (ChatGPT, DALL-E for slides, ElevenLabs guide voice), data list."}]}