An example of our work:
Great Basin National Park CaveSim Trailer
When it comes to our mobile cave projects, we are most proud of the exhibit that we built for the National Park Service. If your organization wants to make education fun, a mobile CaveSim system is the perfect way for you to dramatically expand your outreach.
About the project
The staff at Great Basin National Park (GRBA) first approached us about building a mobile cave for them in 2016. We began construction on the system in 2018, even before the park received funding for the project. In the fall of 2022, GRBA received full funding for the mobile exhibit. Exactly 300 days later (on July 20, 2023), we delivered the GRBA cave on time, on budget, and on spec. CaveSim inventor Dave Jackson stayed at GRBA for a week to ensure that the system was running smoothly, and to allow visitors to explore the new cave while training GRBA staff. Both kids and adults love the new exhibit, and staff are extremely impressed.
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Technology makes CaveSim Engaging
Like every cave we create, this one is filled with a network of tiny computers that teach visitors about conservation. If a visitor bumps a stalactite, gets too close to a cave painting, or touches a bat or packrat, they receive feedback from the system to help them learn to be more careful. Because some visitors have visual or auditory impairments, we use both visible and auditory feedback, including red lights, buzzers, and educational audio recordings. After visitors exit the cave, they review their score on computer screens.
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New helmet tracking improves scoring
The GRBA CaveSim system includes helmets that track each visitor's progress through the mobile cave. This allows the system to determine which visitor touched which cave formation, and each visitor receives their own score after exiting the cave. A digital map of the cave allows family members outside the cave to track each explorer as they navigate the cave passage. This system was designed and built entirely by the CaveSim inventor, and makes the cave very easy to operate. The helmet trackers automatically turn the caving headlamps on (and off) when visitors enter (and exit) the CaveSim system.
A professional display
Worthy of the US National Park Service and their high standards for exhibit quality, our mobile cave is a highly professional display, both inside and out. An easy-to-use display drawer holds interpretive materials as well as helmets for visitors. The helmet batteries charge right in the storage cubbies, and colorful, eye-catching signage and photos teach participants about cave conservation. Greenery around the exhibit is so realistic that even well-educated adults have mistaken it for real plants.
The specs:
- 117' of realistic cave passage with multiple levels
- Three climbing ropes, dozens of climbing holds
- Over 90 artificial cave formations, critters, and artifacts, all with electronic sensors to give visitors a careful-caving score as they explore
- Padded flooring with durable top layer and a rock-like appearance
- Four night-vision cameras for visitors to watch friends
- 31' trailer length
- ~8000 lbs total weight
A photo tour of the GRBA CaveSim exhibit
Other project features:
- Air conditioning, electric heat, exterior & interior trailer lighting.
- In-cave ambient lighting can be turned on to assist younger visitors who may be fearful of dark spaces.
- Simple electrical needs – the whole system is powered by one standard outlet or generator.
- Simple to move – tow with an F250 or other 3/4 ton pickup.
- Side-by-side entrance and exit make for easy visitor flow. Angled entrance ramp allows visitors to stay on the sidewalk instead of in the street.
- An extra (second) entrance that offers an extra challenge to keep visitors engaged. Kids and adventuresome adults can take the fissure entrance directly to the upper level of the cave by climbing up a chimney-style rock wall.
- Wide, easily-accessible emergency exits – visitors are never more than 12' from an exit.
- Built-in awnings to shade the entrance, exit, computer screens, and display drawer.
- Electric stabilizer jacks keep trailer steady when parked.
Create joy. Change the world.
CaveSim turns learning into fun. If your organization wants to make the world a better place by teaching kids about science, exploration, and conservation, a CaveSim system might be the perfect addition to your programs.
Let's start your project
Contact us or fill out the form below to start the conversation about how CaveSim can help you accomplish your goals