Pondering the Universe with AI / The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation

We were responsible for the system development and design of “Pondering the Universe with with AI”, a new interactive installation within the permanent exhibition “The Universe: Unread Messages”, available from April 2025 at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan).

This is an exhibition where visitors can experience how researchers attempt to understand the universe by interpreting vast and diverse observations obtained using experimental equipment. While being amazed at these grand, detailed research efforts that far exceed the imagination, visitors can also become familiar with the allure of a universe that still remains “unread”.

Within this exhibition, “Pondering the Universe with with AI” is an interactive dialogue experience where visitors can engage in conversations with a range of unique AI characters. Through these dialogues, spanning cosmic questions to everyday curiosities, visitors are encouraged to explore and reflect on the universe in an enjoyable, accessible way. We oversaw the entire process from AI system design and development, to the creation of AI character personalities, and the UI design of both the dialogue interface and the control iPads.

To encourage active engagement from participants, we designed a system and interface that allows them to join in conversations between AI characters. Rather than a one-sided question-and-answer format—which has become common in AI interactions—the aim was to create a space where visitors can bring their own interests and perspectives into the dialogue, and together explore and delve deeper into the mysteries of the universe. This vision formed the foundation of the entire concept.

"The Universe: Unread Messages", the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation / Exhibition Design & Direction:TOTAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE CO., LTD. (Photo:Jingu Ooki)

System

On the system side, we developed a real-time dialogue engine powered by a large language model (LLM). To ensure accurate and coherent responses while minimizing hallucinations, we implemented a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system. We also designed detailed AI character personas and dialogue flows to create a more engaging and characterful conversational experience. In addition to LLM-based generation, we incorporated traditional natural language processing techniques to support features such as a mode that converts complex kanji into hiragana for easier readability, and custom voice effects for each character. To enhance accessibility, we also implemented a text-to-speech mode that reads out conversations aloud for users with visual impairments, making the system more inclusive and enjoyable for a wider audience.

AI characters standby screen

Dialogue screen with AI character

Design

On the design side, we crafted a cohesive narrative framework that bring a sense of story to the “conversation with AI” experience. This included the development of seven unique AI characters and a user interface designed to facilitate smooth interaction. Each character was given a distinct persona—ranging from a scientist, a child, and a bard, to a grandmother and a good-listener hairdresser—allowing for varied perspectives and styles of dialogue that enrich the conversational experience.

Seven unique AI characters

The AI characters were designed with a minimalist visual language composed solely of geometric shapes, striking a balance between standing out and blending seamlessly into the exhibition space. These characters represent a personification of AI itself, and to express “what AI imagines each character might look like” we used image-generating AI as the starting point for the visual design.

Character creation process

By inputting text prompts based on personality-defining keywords, we generated abstract geometric imagery, extracted key forms, and translated them into the final character designs.

For the interface, we adopted a sharp, unified visual style that complemented the solid silhouettes of the characters. To ensure uninterrupted conversations with the AI, the layout was designed with a strong focus on clarity and ease of use. The result is an intuitive UI that invites users to engage naturally with the AI, regardless of age or familiarity with technology.

The layout was designed with a strong focus on clarity and ease of use

Link

- Qosmo Insights: Behind the scenes of the “The Universe: Unread Messages” exhibition

Exhibition

2025.04.23 - | The Universe: Unread Messages（National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation）

Credits

Exhibition Design & Fabrication: TOTAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE CO., LTD. Planning & Production: Miraikan - The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Technical and Artistic Supervision: Nao Tokui (Qosmo) AI System Development: Ryosuke Nakajima (Qosmo) Technical Support : Bogdan Teleaga (Qosmo) Design: Naoki Ise(Qosmo), Miki Tetsuka (Qosmo) Sound Effect: Haruma Tasaki (Qosmo) Project Management: Momoko Aoyagi (Qosmo)