Hello all
I have been meaning to respond to this thread for
a while, and Mike and James' exchange earlier
today finally got my goat and started me typing...
Earlier this year I was commissioned to broker
relationships with museums and other cultural
institutions, on behalf a client developing novel
ways for visitors to interact with museum spaces
and objects. Novel, not so much in technological
terms - there is an emphasis on simplicity and
robustness, see below - but in the conceptual
interface between visitors' preconceptions and
the target learning environment.
[See this posting for an early email about the approach:
Mobile phones and fantasy worlds – new ways of engaging visitors
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=ind0706&L=gem&T=0&F=&S=&P=16966 ]
Following a number of meetings with interested
museums, and successive trial projects, several
points have emerged, convincing me that 'simple
is best' for this type of project and that (an
old chestnut, but still true) it is not the
technology that is difficult to get right, but
way people will interact with it.
The following is taken from a short Powerpoint
summarising the project, accessible at:
http://www.ict4learning.com/mobilephonefantasyworld.ppt
Many technologies are available, including wifi,
Bluetooth, RFID, etc. Using plain old mobile
phones, however, has distinct advantages, in
terms of basic practicalities and also user engagement:
1. It is a transparent technology,
(a) in the sense that almost
everyone has a mobile and knows how to use it, and
(b) in the sense that it
interferes less with visitors' interaction with the museum environment
2. For the same reasons, people seem to accept
the idea of communicating with a historical (or
fantasy, or real) character more easily via
texting than using more exotic technologies
3.Texting is unlikely to feel outdated for the
next few years - unlike more contemporary developments
4.No technical issues like compatibility, etc, to worry about
5.No need for museums to buy, maintain and
replace dedicated kit – and people are more
likely to use their own mobiles, as it avoids the
need to approach staff for the equipment, avoids the need to queue, etc
6.The very narrowness of texting as a
communication channel offers advantages when it
comes to designing projects, and dealing with
users’ submitted content (formats, etc)
Etc
Overall
using everyday mobile technology (text and voice)
means that the creative effort, and resources, go
into developing tours that serve the needs of the
museum and the visitor, rather than being led by technology
With no dependence on additional physical labels,
this approach allows traditional museums and
galleries to be richly interactive without invasive technology
Hope some of this is useful
Martin
---
Martin Bazley
ICT4Learning
15 Margin Drive
Wimbledon
SW19 5HA
07803 580 727
www.ICT4Learning.com At 10:08 25/10/2007, J Martin wrote:
>Hi Mike,
>
>Fair points!
>
>"Timid"(!) institutions looking for something
>similiar might prefer Node Explorer (also
>Linux-based, but AFAIK not open to home-brew
>hacking) [ http://www.nodeexplore.com/ ] which
>I've been eyeing up lately. It looks too pricey
>for us so I haven't even bothered enquiring (Any
>Node reps listening feel free to email me if you like!).
>
>J2ME (Mobile Java) [
>http://java.sun.com/javame/index.jsp ,
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_ME ] is pretty
>ubiquitous (i.e., "multiple hundreds of" = most
>mobile 'phones / PDAs etc. support it) and
>capable (and it's easy to port existing Java
>apps to). My favourite J2ME "Midlet"
>(application) is still the Opera Mini web
>browser [ http://www.opera.com/ ] which nicely
>fits in with your comments on the mobile web.
>Java has moved on and Midlets can do some pretty
>amazing platform-independent stuff these days
>including accessing sound, video and in-built GPS.
>
>I like your voice recording idea. VoIP across
>the WLAN using OpenMoko + say Ekiga (an open
>source VoIP client) so that pairs can call their
>teacher (and vice-versa) would be interesting
>too, especially in larger settings. I'm still
>thinking that the 'phone function should be
>disabled for safety / security reasons not to
>mention the call costs a class of schoolkids can doubtless rack up in an hour!
>
>Getting back to Robin's original query, we are
>in the process of deploying mp3 players with a
>range of pre-selected audio on them. They will be of two types:
>
>"Expensive" ones (iPods) with headphones nailed to the wall for static use.
>
>Cheap / "disposable" ones (which can picked up
>on Amazon / eBay / Hong Kong wholesalers for
>under a fiver each). As for insurance, we can
>charge a deposit that's more than the value of
>the player so if they go walkies we make money!
>
>The most difficult bit about this project is not
>the sound recording or the hardware, it's
>negotiating copyright royalties which is where
>we're stuck at at the moment and seems to be taking forever to sort out.
>
>Regards,
>
>James
>
>On Thu, 25 Oct 2007, electronic museum wrote:
>
>>Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:38:16 +0100
>>From: electronic museum <[log in to unmask]>
>>Reply-To: Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: [MCG] FW: Digital cameras, mobile phone cameras,
>> MP3 players in museums and galleries
>>This looks pretty interesting and as a geek - minus dog, unfortunately -
>>I'll definitely be checking it out.
>>
>>
>>
>>BUT...from my experience of mobile usage (not cameras - slight digression
>>from thread):
>>
>>
>>
>>1. Institutions are often understandably nervous about using bespoke
>>devices: they're expensive, hard to set up, have to be charged / reset /
>>programmed / hit with a stick, staff have to be trained, a desk and tills
>>have to be set up, insurance taken out, etc etc
>>
>>
>>
>>2. Evidence points very strongly towards "normal users" never (ever)
>>installing software on their phones. Most people are nervous about doing it
>>on their home PC, let alone a device which they understand even less and is
>>more impenetrable.
>>
>>
>>
>>Unless a major telco begins roll-out of functionality which is generically
>>available on all phones (and web access is starting - just starting - to fit
>>this checkbox) then I personally think we shouldn't even bother. My
>>suggestion would be to use functionality which is available ubiquitously,
>>but use it in more interesting ways. This might mean that your users:
>>
>>
>>
>>- upload pictures they've taken using their own mobile
>>
>>- send SMS messages and have the message displayed / reacted to on-gallery
>>
>>- use the voice (*gasp*) functionality of their mobile but hook it into some
>>kind of auto-recording facility like Pamela (www.pamela-systems.com) so that
>>their feedback is recorded for later consumption on the institution website
>>or wherever
>>
>>- insert other ideas here..
>>
>>
>>
>>If you're really pushing the boundary, as of course we should be :-), then
>>web access is the next obvious place to go. With both Vodafone and TMobile
>>pushing the mobile Internet agenda, this is getting towards mainstream.
>>
>>
>>
>>cheers
>>
>>
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of J
>>>Martin
>>>Sent: 25 October 2007 08:06
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: Re: Digital cameras, mobile phone cameras, MP3 players in
>>>museums and galleries
>>>
>>>Hi Robin,
>>>
>>>Very interesting and pertinent questions!
>>>
>>>I think you can clearly separate these ideas into two categories:
>>>
>>>1. Enabling the use of devices that customers own / bring with
>>>them.
>>>
>>>2. Loaning devices to customers when they're on site.
>>>
>>> From a technical services point of view, these are two very different
>>>propositions even though some of the devices and services will overlap.
>>>
>>>For brevity's sake, I'll focus on 2.
>>>
>>>We're anticipating the commerical release (hopefully in a few months) of
>>>
>>>the http://openmoko.org/ platform based currently on the FIC Neo1973
>>>mobile phone hardware. (see the Wiki from that link for more details).
>>>
>>>In short, the Neo1973 has / shortly will have a 400MHz CPU, 256Mb
>>>memory,
>>>built-in GPS, Bluetooth, Wifi, Accelerometers, 3D graphics acceleration,
>>>
>>>Audio, Touch-screen a\ la iPhone, miniSD and microUSB slots, oh, and you
>>>
>>>can make 'phone calls with it too (world-wide quad-band, any network)!
>>>
>>>As the name suggests, the OpenMoko [Linux-based] software is fully open
>>>source. Critically, the Neo1973 hardware is also as fully open source as
>>>
>>>practically possible (the exceptions being unimportant proprietary
>>>firmware buried in the radio transmitters). This means that it'll be
>>>trivially easy for geeks to compile their own custom versions of Linux
>>>on
>>>it. The hardware specification is sufficient to run Ubuntu (
>>>http://www.ubuntu.com/ ) which holds out the promise of being able to
>>>run
>>>a customised version of EduBuntu (the educational version of Ubuntu)
>>>with
>>>all of the applications it comes with and any more that people
>>>care to write targetted to this device.
>>>
>>>Interested developers are currently hooked on the local communications
>>>aspect of the device (see projects link from the OpenMoko home-page) -
>>>e.g., GPS location sharing, Ad-hoc communication via. Bluetooth.
>>>
>>>In English, this platform opens up huge possibilities as a loan device
>>>for
>>>school groups. Facilities such as "Where's my partner?" (GPS), location
>>>sensitive interaction, using it as a Nintendo Wii-style wand (the
>>>accelerometers) to activate features with waving gestures, beaming data
>>>between devices and back to servers for analysis etc.
>>>
>>>Also, as it's open source, the 'phone functions can be disabled (unless
>>>the device / carrier goes walkies in which case it could be set to
>>>'phone
>>>home saying where it is!).
>>>
>>>Behind the scenes, the data analysis of who looked at what with who
>>>where
>>>for how long could prove useful to educators.
>>>
>>>It doesn't have a camera (yet) though that is on the wish-list and there
>>>
>>>is room for it within the hardware. In the interim one of the widely
>>>available USB camera on a wire (GBP 10-ish) + a spot of DIY
>>>tupper-waring
>>>would work. Alternatively, wireless cameras could be configured to work
>>>with the device pretty easily.
>>>
>>>Oh, it costs about GBP 150 by the way. Every geek and their dog is going
>>>
>>>to want one :-)
>>>
>>>Regards,
>>>
>>>James
>>>
>>>On Fri, 12 Oct 2007, Robin Clutterbuck wrote:
>>>
>>>>Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:30:01 +0100
>>>>From: Robin Clutterbuck <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>Reply-To: Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
>>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>Subject: [MCG] Digital cameras, mobile phone cameras,
>>>> MP3 players in museums and galleries
>>>>
>>>>Hello MCG and E-Learning list members (with apologies if you have
>>>received
>>>>this via the GEM list) -
>>>>
>>>>I have three related requests for information - all to do with making
>>>use of
>>>>cheap, easily available technology. This is mainly for family
>>>learning
>>>>activities but could be applied to schools.
>>>>
>>>>1. Does anyone give out digital cameras for children to use in the
>>>museum?
>>>>I'm looking for something that would be attractive for children (e.g.
>>>http://www.vtechuk.com/products-and-accessories/kidizoom-multimedia-digi
>>>tal-
>>>>camera/) but also able to print out stickers before they leave. An
>>>option
>>>>to disable the flash would be an added advantage!
>>>>
>>>>2. For that matter, has anyone tried engaging with people's mobile
>>>phone
>>>>cameras, perhaps by bluetooth? These cameras don't have flash so
>>>would suit
>>>>galleries better.
>>>>
>>>>3. And what about MP3 players? How are people using these in the
>>>gallery?
>>>>There must be opportunities for some creative activities based around
>>>>matching music or oral history to particular displays, or just doing
>>>>personalised audio tours / 'treasure hunts'.
>>>>
>>>>Any information very gratefully received! If you want your reply to
>>>>encourage more discussion on the list press 'reply to all', but if you
>>>have
>>>>a specific reply to my question (e.g. details of a product or
>>>supplier) just
>>>>reply to me and I'll circulate to the list in due course.
>>>>
>>>>Best wishes
>>>>
>>>>Robin Clutterbuck
>>>>
>>>>White Rook Projects
>>>>Museum & Heritage Learning / Audience Development
>>>>The Castle
>>>>62 Seymour Road
>>>>Newton Abbot
>>>>Devon TQ12 2PU
>>>>U.K.
>>>>
>>>>Tel: (0) 1626 333144
>>>>Mobile: 07779 671794
>>>>Email: [log in to unmask]
>>>>
>>>>**************************************************
>>>>For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit
>>>the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
>>>>**************************************************
>>>
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>>
>>
>>--
>>________________________________________________
>>
>>electronic museum
>>
>>..thoughts on museums, the social web, innovation
>>
>>w: http://www.electronicmuseum.org.uk
>>f: http://electronicmuseum.wordpress.com/feed
>>e: [log in to unmask]
>>
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>
>--
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>http://www.linuxgenuineadvantage.org/ [N.b., this is a parody site
>inspired by the not quite so wonderful headache known as Windows Genuine
>Advantage - you know, the "Advantage" that means you have to re-register
>Vista with Microsoft if you add more RAM to your machine!]
>
>[log in to unmask]
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---
Martin Bazley
ICT4Learning
15 Margin Drive
Wimbledon
SW19 5HA
07803 580 727
www.ICT4Learning.com
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For mcg information and to manage your subscription to the list, visit the website at http://www.museumscomputergroup.org.uk
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