EscapeHumber
Return to the Nebula Dawn
is a Humber Polytechnic Academic P3 Priority project. It is a spaceship themed educational escape room that teaches multidisciplinary teams about emerging technology. This project is a collection of puzzles that incorporate physical and digital elements together using emerging technology, such Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Currently, we are examining how to modularize the educational escape room for use by students and faculty in the Humber community and other educational partners.
Doors Open Toronto 2026
Escape Humber is opening its doors as part of Doors Open Toronto on May 23, 2026. Visit us at Humber Polytechnic's Lakeshore Campus (Media Arts Building, 300 Birmingham Street) and experience our spaceship-themed educational escape room firsthand. Work with a team to solve puzzles built with emerging technologies — including Arduino, ESP32, IoT sensors, and a locally-hosted AI voice assistant — all inside a custom-built set designed by Humber's Theatre Arts students. Sessions run between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. both days. Advance booking is required as space is limited.
We are a multidisciplinary team exploring how gamification can be used with education
Meet Rob, Tanya, and Sean. We are faculty at Humber Polytechic. Our project aims to build a 'living classroom' where individuals can not only participate in the escape room, but also learn how to construct their own. While the goal of this project is educational, our aim is to create an escape room that is close to the standards of a commercial escape room.
Version 1.0 of the the Escape Room was built in Winter 2025 by student's in Humber Polytechnic's Theatre Arts - Technical Production program. The room was designed to resemble a spaceship. The room has 6 puzzles. Each puzzle is constructed to resemble a system within the ship. Puzzles are made using 12" x 24" or 12" x 12" white acrylic panels and are interchangeable.
Room Features
Design Finishes
- LED lighting
- Bulkheads and ceilings with lighting
- Futuristic look and feel
- Large windows out to space
- Multiple screens (show puzzle/game progress and status)
- Metal mesh/gratings
- Vents/ducts/cables
Puzzles
- Security Override Panel
- Life Support
- Quantum Flux Calibrator
- Hyperdrive Propulsion Matrix
- Stellar Orientation Alignment
- Stellar Shield Matrix
Connectivity
The ship (escape room) is aware of all of the events that take place. Each of these data points are routed through a server and can control elements. We can listen for events and trigger actions. These include:
- Changing the lights when the game timer gets to 5 minutes from the end
- Playing audio / video files when someone solves a puzzle
- Prompting ORACLE to speak when an event occurs (similar to a real futuristic spaceship)
- Real-time updates of scoreboards
ORACLE
The ship (escape room) has a conversational AI - the ORACLE. The ORACLE is a custom built voice assistant that can communicate with elements in the room. It can be used to ask for hints, discuss objectives, and just chat. It is completely OFFLINE, meaning it is a localized AI. It utilizes the following features:
- Custom wake word
- Speech to text
- Text to intent
- Text to small language model (SLM)
Coding + Frameworks
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- C++
- Python
- NodeJs
- NodeRED
- MongoDB
The puzzles
Each puzzle has been designed to fit within the room and resemble a station on a spaceship.
Beginner
Security Override Panel
RFID tags are hidden around the ship. Players must search carefully, test different tags, and identify the correct one to unlock the override panel.
Beginner
Life Support Systems
Players must brute force the system by flipping switches through different HIGH and LOW states until the exact sequence is revealed and life support restored.
Intermediate
Stellar Shield Matrix
A list of shield combinations is hidden across the ship. Players must analyze the data, determine the correct matrix, and enter the exact sequence to power shields.
Intermediate
Stellar Orientation Alignment
A stellar map is hidden aboard the ship. By searching carefully for clues, players must interpret the signals and align the vessel’s course with the correct destination.
Advanced
Quantum Flux Calibrator
An engineering schematic conceals the hidden logic. Players must study the drawing, extract the sequence of rules, and adjust the device until it calibrates correctly.
Advanced
Hyperdrive Propulsion Matrix
Captain's logs contain vital references to propulsion. Players must decode the entries, interpret the patterns, and configure the fuel mixture to engage the hyperdrive.
Get in touch!
We are currently looking for educators and students to collaborate with on future projects.
Get in Touch!