Computing science experts from the University of Glasgow tested a prototype interactive system which enabled red-ruffed lemurs and humans to share linked multisensory experiences. The results suggest that the everyday lives of the endangered red-ruffed lemurs could be enriched by on-demand access to video and sound clips, as well as the distinctive smells of favoured foods and plants. Visitors who had the chance to share the same sensory experiences and watch videos of the lemurs interacting with the device spent more time in the animals’ habitat.
They also reported that they felt an increased emotional connection with the lemurs as a result of interacting with the SensorySafari device. Researchers installed a specially-designed box containing a video screen, speakers and three vials filled with different scents in the red-ruffed lemurs’ enclosure. Infrared sensors inside the box detected when the lemurs entered, triggering a video, a sound, a smell or a combination or two or more. The sensors also started a video camera, which recorded their interactions for as long as they lasted.
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