Friday, May 20, 2011

Augmented Reality

Last year, the 2010 Horizon Report: Museum Edition identified six technologies to watch for their use in museums. One of the technologies they identified was augmented reality. Augmented reality is defined as "blending data with the real world." One website that you're probably familiar with is Yelp, which allows users to rate and review real world places, including restaurants, bars, museums, etc, then later use that information to make decisions about those places - where to go for dinner or which museum to visit on vacation. Museums have also been using augmented reality, such as the Powerhouse Museum's Layar, an app for mobile devices which shows images of what Sydney, Australia looked like 100 years ago when the user walks around the city. The Museum of London also offers a similar app, Streetmuseum.

Apps are not the only way to use augmented reality. One interesting use of augmented reality is the DisplayCabinet, which uses RFID tags placed inside objects to display information on a surface. For example, the keys in the image below tells you the temperature and if the dog is outside.

Photo Credit: Ben Bashford

The creators of the DisplayCabinet also used a wallet and a miniature train to display different information. This information is geared toward daily data that would be important to a person's daily schedule, like the train schedules or traffic issues. The information is presented in a different and fun way. It might even be easier than loading up your computer or unlocking your phone to just throw your keys onto a desk before you leave the house or even leave your essential items on the desk and have information updated in the morning. Even children could easily use the objects.

These objects could hold data that museums could use. Take for example a typical art exhibit.


The information on these labels is static and, at times, not engaging. Perhaps the label only tells a little data about the artist, date, and maybe the medium. Museums also struggle with connecting to all audiences. By using blank spaces and the objects, a museum could create multiple sets of labels related to information that a visitor might be interested in. For example, an exhibit on painted landscapes could have objects with data connected to information on the type of plants in the paintings, the artists, the type of paint, etc. Exhibits could easily be designed to have information geared toward general adult visitors, art students, children, teachers.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

It's Been a While

I realize it's been 4 months since I've posted. At this point I probably can't call myself a blogger anymore, but I'm really going to try to keep things up from now on. I could explain away the million reasons why I haven't updated in a while, but suffice it to say, I finally finished my exit project and have graduated. I can't tell you how excited I am that everything is done, but I'm also on the job hunt right now so I'm still very busy.

My exit project turned out to be 50 pages of delightful Archives data, grants and volunteer information. I'm very proud of what I've accomplished, but I'm still interested in continuing my work. The audit is still ongoing, but I just lost my best (and only volunteer). She has a seasonal job with the National Park Service so I'm sure she's having a blast. Luckily, the Archivist just trained three new volunteers that I will be training in the audit this coming Sunday.

I've also been asked to sit on the Board of Directors for the Historical Society! I'm so very honored by this request and I can't wait to get started. Everyone at the Historical Society has been so enthusiastic and I only hope I can continue to bring energy to the Archives and Board.

The job hunt has been slow, as I'm sure it has been for anyone who's graduated in the last 2 or 3 years. I've done all the things people have advised: tell everyone you know you're applying, write specific resumes and cover letters and apply to jobs even if you don't think you're perfectly qualified. All good advice. Right now I'm just hoping for something part-time until I can figure out where I'm going and to hopefully find a job I'm passionate about.

In the meantime, I plan on focusing on the job hunt, continuing to work at the Archives, volunteering at the Missouri History Museum and watching a little bit of Netflix.