I'm doubly thrilled to announce the successful beginning to the pilot of
Brooklyn Museum's new initiative, PocketMuseum(TM) Digital Guides. They
are PocketPC handhelds (these particular ones are Dell Axims),
wirelessly connected to our existing, museum-wide, WiFi network. As far
as we know, we are the first museum in the US to issue visitor-handhelds
that function throughout the Museum, rather than within specific
exhibitions; and I think we are the first Museum in NYC to use WiFi
handhelds at all. We launched on 10/22, and the pilot has been going
pretty well (but then, we have very realistic expectations).
The current content is pretty basic, but focuses on material or subjects
that is hard to deliver in a traditional label, such as
behind-the-scenes work (construction of our new front entrance,
conservation of the Totem poles), art that's not currently on view (Judy
Chicago's "The Dinner Party"), in-depth exposition, and
cross-collectional pieces. In the future, given the continued success of
the pilot, we'll probably add streaming audio and more interactive
features, like visitor discussion (important to a community-minded
museum!), send a photo to a friend, etc.
But since this is MCN, let me cut short the content discussion and get
straight to some details of how we do this technically.
First, content is delivered via http from a web server. This is how our
stationery gallery kiosks work as well. Web technologies are cheap,
pervasive, and powerful. I wouldn't do content delivery any other way.
Second, the pages are pure, standards-based HTML. We wanted the content
to work on almost any device that someone may bring into the Museum (web
phones!), not just the ones we provide. So avoiding any heavy or
proprietary client-side requirements is essential. We may, in future,
add specific features that make more demands on the client but in
general we will focus on server-side programming.
Third, location is handled via Hypertags(tm). Hypertags are infrared
transmitters that send a URL, via the IR port, to a small client on the
handheld. The handheld then downloads that URL into the browser. So by
pointing the handheld at the Hypertag, you automatically download the
right content for that tag. This is the one proprietary piece of our
solution, and by far the most expensive part. But there's no simpler way
to answer the question "where am I?" on a wireless network. One sad
negative of Hypertags: the client, while freely downloadable and
available to visitors who bring their own PocketPC-based handhelds, will
never work on many mini-browsers. So we are trying some other, map-like
ways to get people to the right content, but none of them are as slick
as Hypertags.
If you're in NYC, please come any time the Museum's open (except First
Saturdays) to try out the Digital Guides, and let me know what you think
(or fill in our survey, at the end of your tour). At least for the
initial pilot, which is going to continue through November, we're
handing them out for no charge. I'd love to hear what anyone thinks.
Any questions or comments, please email me and I'd be happy to chat!
Thanks,
Matt Morgan
Manager of Information Systems
Brooklyn Museum
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