British Columbia Museum Adds Pocket PC Guides

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050516.gtmuseum16/BNStory/Technology/' target='_blank'>http://www.globetechnology.com/serv...ory/Technology/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Since 1976, the imperious totems and ancient timbers housed in Arthur Erickson's dramatic post-and-beam longhouse on the edge of the Pacific have awed visitors from around the world. But next week, the renowned gallery will unveil a new technological toy: the made-in-Vancouver VUEguide. This idiot-proof handheld interactive guide looks like a cross between a PalmPilot and a GameBoy, and aims to set a benchmark for what constitutes a first-rate museum experience. The device, developed in just one year by Ubiquity Interactive Inc. with support from Telefilm Canada's New Media Fund, uses proprietary software powered by Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system, all wrapped up in a sturdy anodized aluminum case."</i><br /><br />We've seen museums use Pocket PCs before, but they're doing things a bit differently: they're using the infrared ports on the devices to automatically queue up content for the visitor when they get close to certain objects, and the user interacts with the touchscreen. This is a few generations beyond the Windows CE handhelds I used at the <a href="http://www.emplive.org/">Experience Music Project</a> a few years ago. Anyone in Victoria want to go on a field trip and report back to us? :D

[Locksmith]

Only problem is, the BC museum is located in Victoria!

[Jason Dunn]

Only problem is, the BC museum is located in Victoria!

Oh. Oops. :oops: :lol:

[ctmagnus]

iirc, the Royal BC Museum is in Victoria. This is the Museum of Anthroplogy that's on the UBC campus.

[DinarSoft]

There is also another company in Ottawa which did a similar thing

http://www.flicksoftware.com/venues_mig.html

They have some wmv files about their product in their news section

http://www.flicksoftware.com/news.html

[mik_rose]

I might have to go check that out...

I am in Sooke, 30k from Victoria

[Jonathon Watkins]

I might have to go check that out...

I am in Sooke, 30k from Victoria

Welcome Mik_rose. 8) If you do visit, please let us know what you think. :)

[larsmeyer]

Hi. This is a bit late judging by the date of this thread. But here goes anyway...

I am one of the Principals of the company that developed the VUEguide. For those who are interested here are some “mobility matters” points from our work:

We are indeed using IR to trigger the location awareness. One of the reasons for this is that in an interpretive environment, such as a museum, where you are looking is more important that where you are. i.e. to be truly useful the device needs to augment (provide more information about...) what you are looking at. It is possible to be standing on the same spot (position remains the same) and facing in one of many different directions. The information that is relevant to you changes depending on your direction not your position.

Our system also contextualizes the information based on your history. In other words it will explain what you are looking at now in context of what you have already seen.

We also use the IR function to beam content references between users. For example if my wife sees something that she particularly finds interesting she can beam that to me and it will play on my screen that way we can share the experience and discuss it then and there, rather than the device being isolating from the social context of a museum.

The museum is in Vancouver, BC. About 15 minutes from downtown at the University of British Columbia.