Posted by Site Administrator
Location-Aware Services
MW2009 Morning Session
18 Apr 2009 11:00
RFID Tracking of Museum Visitors for Personalized Content Delivery
Kubadji project
What's this? Tell me more? The story so far? More of the same. Where next? How does this relate to ... ?
For example, could do museum tracking to find out where time is spent in the museum. Should be minimal cost and the least intrusive possible. How do we know how accurate it is? Replaces having people shadow guests to watch where they go -- creepy.
RFID proximity tags. Possible tech:
Passive RFID (cheap 5c like merchandise) -- best
Active RFID (too expensive $1k)
Bluetooth (triangulation, requires device)
Wireless LAN (triangulation, requires device)
Indoor GPS (doesn't work well inside)
Sensing: automatically sense that the tag is nearby.
Generally can tell range of time when tag is in range of the sensor.
Put Passive RFIDs in badge holder (5 of them?)
RFID readers connected to a central server via USB connections
Output exhibit, visitor, time in, time out
How accurate is it? Compare against people monitoring visitors.
Experiment has 15 visitors, one at a time. Two human trackers (do they agree?)
RFID tracker generally performs less well than the humans do. However, the RFID are a fraction.
Open plan floorplans are challenging for both human and tracking
False negatives due to RFID tracking error (skewed name tag suggested)
Out There: Connecting People, Places and Stories
3 Location-based projects:
1 Frequency 1550 -- Create a historical sensation
2 Rituals -- Fostering a personal reflection
3 City Ragas -- Stimulating a cultural exchange
Frequency 1550. Visit the actual sites. Seems likely that participants would be more actively engaged by actually visiting the locations rather than reading about them. Takes about 1 day. Views maps on mobile phone. Map image divided into six color-shaded regions. Each team assigned an area and HQ. Winner is the team with the most points earned through assignments (eg take photos, etc.). At HQ they can use the Internet to learn more. Parts of city which were once over water are now paved. Earn rats as points. Seems to be much more effective than other methods.
Rituals. GPS walking tour Summer 2008. Used movies to instruct. Recorded confessions in front of a mirror. Asked to burn incense. Climb to the top of a church and tear up paper and cast it to the winds.
City Ragas. Connect people in Amsterdam with people in India. Oct 2008. Given theme topics and asked to take pictures which were relevant to the suggestion. Sometimes a photo from one group would inspire corresponding pictures from the other city.
The physical environment proves to be a far more effective way to share information than the museum, etc. Game seems to encourage participation and engage their mind and memory.
Frequency 1550 was a closed system. Others are more open
GPS-Triggered Location Technologies at Parks Canada
Passed devices around.
As you approach a location with information/photo/details, an audio sound (trumpet) shows the extra information.
New media team builds tools to let individual parks and sites build their content.
Advantages: don't have to put signs. People seem more interested.
Can the Parks people make the content? How does it affect the learning?
Yes, staff can do it with appropriate support. Second tour created takes about 1/2 the time. Part-time project manager, content manager, GIS expert, content expert
Visitors do read the content out loud to each other. They interact better with each other. Access 2nd level content (eg video, quiz)
Visitors do not access information at 3rd level that is not attachet do a point of interest (POI). Do not argue over the device. Did not get distracted by the technology itself.
Would they pay? Yes $4-$6 plus admission.
Focus on the content and not the technology.
Tailor the content to your audience.
Focus on pushed/main content
Not a one-time investment
Start small -- but start!
Try out a device early.
Create, test on location, adjust, test ...
First screen by all, Second screen by some, Third screen by few.
People on site should be able to change content.
Do the devices work well in sunlight? No. May need to shade screen by person or environment.