Week 7: Smartphone Headset

The Smartphone headset presented by Daniela De Angeli and Eamonn O’Neill from the University of Bath seeks to engage the visitor through technology by augmenting the visitor’s museum experience.

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How the headset actually works

The headset works by using the visitor’s own phone to record and project information onto a transparency in front of the visitor’s eyes.  Thus far, the researchers have run a small study testing lighting, color and image blurriness.  When the headset is less a prototype, they plan on testing it in National Trust’s sites.

 

There are possibilities of displaying an infinite amount of information that the visitor would not originally have had. Curating would certainly be affected.  The headset impairs peripheral vision and curators may have to edit the exhibitions to allow the headsets to be really effective.

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The Smartphone headset prototype

 

The pros for a headset over a purely phone based augmentation was that holding the phone is limiting.  Having the phone in your hand was a distraction in it of itself.

I would argue that having the headset on itself is a distraction as it would take a while for visitor’s to become adjusted to the having something cover and interfere with their vision.  It would certainly take some time, at least, for the novelty of the headset to wear off. Certainly it would be an initial distraction to the visitor but I see there being a lot of potential to what could be done with the projections.

 

6 thoughts on “Week 7: Smartphone Headset”

  1. I agree, the headset concept is cool in theory, but honestly just doesn’t work out in the long run. I feel that sometimes we try to create more technology with the hopes of making things like museum exhibits easier to view or insert a more creative method of viewing them, but then something like the headset is created and sort of just adds more complexity. It reminds me of Google glass in a way, being that it’s pretty great but also unnecessary in most people’s eyes– at least, I think it is, haha!

  2. I agree that this headset has a lot of potential- especially with the emergence of virtual reality technology, it might be possible to enhance one’s visual experience with artworks on display. That said, I feel that it might be challenging to implement in a traditional museum setting if we are focusing on pure appreciation of the artwork. However, it can probably be used to promote/ design an interactive experience that complements the exhibition.

  3. While it does seem that things like the oculus and other virtual reality enhancers seems to be the future for visual learning and entertainment, I agree that I do not see this prototype being very effective. There are so many factors to consider others than the one’s you have listed, such as different phone models and charging. I do think the idea of enhancing space and our sense through digital means is inevitable, but I just don’t see it happening with this model.

  4. This was definitely a very interesting post about an up-and-coming type of technology. Virtual Reality headsets (I’m thinking Oculus and Google Glass here) are definitely making their way around the tech realm. However, in terms of using it to modernize museums…I think there is a long way to go. The use of audio tours and phones right now to enhance the museum experience already has a wide array of issues. I fear that in employing this technology into the museum experience, we might effectively erase the instances of organic interactions and engagement with the art.

  5. I went to LACMA a few years ago, on a day when an artist was trying out a virtual reality app for iPhones that was supposed to augment the museum experience. I think the artist had created digital, site-specific sculptures that appeared on your phone when you moved your camera over the appropriate places. However, I remember that the technology didn’t work as it was supposed to. While I agree with a lot of your concerns, I do think that, if executed correctly, this kind of technology has a lot of potential for creating a new and richer museum experience.

  6. Personally, I feel that even just looking at apps on my iPhone, for example like The Broad’s app that is designed to enhance visitors experience at the museum and provide context to accompany the artwork, is distracting. Also, people watching is a big part of my museum going experience, possibly my favorite, and just looking at an app takes you out of that experience. I feel with a headset like this, it would completely ruin that experience, or make it impossible. I think an important part of moving forward with implementing different technologies within the museum world is making sure that these technologies are not only personalized, as this digital headset is trying to create a more personalized experience, but that they are also socialized. I think the sociality of museum going is a key aspect of the overall experience, and should not be over looked when implementing new technologies.

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