The Elba

About This Project

The SS Elba was a 400' freighter that traveled the Great Lakes, delivering cargo to ports of call. After she was decommissioned the bridge of the ship was saved and added as an exhibit in the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

DIGITAL has given the Elba a new life by adding digital video displays in place of the windows and linked all seven screens up to a fully immersive interactive exhibit simulator. Visitors can steer the Elba from Lake Michigan to Green Bay, navigating the Sturgeon Bay ship canal and three bridges before reaching the waters of Green Bay.

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Project Highlights

  • Seven synchronized video displays
  • Mechanical linkage between the ship's wheel and the computer for realtime steering input
  • Educational and historical content playback on one of the displays
  • Immersive 3D realistic environment
  • Audio sound effects and narration
  • Custom enclosures and raceways for the technology