Blog
Open Exhibits Participant Survey
With Open Exhibits now in its second year, we are gathering more feedback from participants about their experiences thus far. To that end, we have created a short survey online at:
http://rockman.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_b1Py80XMx6526BC
We want to hear from a wide range of participants - including people who've been actively participating over the course of the past year, as well as those who may not have been as active for various reasons. In otherwords, if you are signed up as a memeber on the Open Exhibits website - we want to hear from you! ...about what you've done, ...what you've liked, ...and about anything that might be holding you back from participating more fully. We also want your input on some new features that will be coming to the Open Exhibits website soon.
Everyone who completes the survey by the end of February 2012 will be entered in a drawing to win one of 5 $50 Amazon.com gift certificates (gift cards will be delivered via email if you are selected if your name/survey is selected - please check Amazon.com for specific gift card and shipping policies if you do not currently live in the United States).
If you have any questions or specific comments - please feel free to send me a note. Thanks in advance for your help!
on Feb 13, 2012 Multitouch Table Comparison Chart
Choosing the right multitouch equipment is a critical factor in planning a successful public exhibit. Size, build quality, multitouch technology, and performance are key factors when evaluating a device that will be used day- after-day in a busy public environment. Ideum (who as the lead organization on Open Exhibits) recently developed this Multitouch Table and Display Comparison chart (PDF 600kb).
This comparison chart compiles information about the MT55 Pro multitouch table, MT55 Platform multitouch table, and the MT65 Presenter multitouch wall, the Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface 2, the Multitaction MT550W7 table, 3M touch displays and more. We hope you will find this a valuable resource when selecting equipment for your next museum exhibit or public display. We welcome your comments or questions.
on Feb 8, 2012 100 Years Exhibition Now Open at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
This weekend we had the pleasure of attending the opening of 100 Years of State & Federal Policy: The Impact on Pueblo Nations at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC).
The exhibit has two media-based interactive exhibits and while these exhibits were custom, both utilized software modules that will be part of the new Open Exhibits software release in March. A new multiscreen Collection Viewer and a multiscreen timeline exhibit on stretched LCD were developed.
Ideum, the lead organization in Open Exhibits developed custom multitouch hardware and software for the exhibit. (You can learn more about the timeline and Collection Viewer installation on the Ideum portfolio.)
The multiscreen display option will be part of our March software release, allowing Open Exhibits developers to easily build these types of exhibits. Using the new software, a touchscreen or multitouch table can easily become a "remote control" displaying and controlling image or video content on a secondary monitor.
The media exhibits show primary documents, photographs, video interviews and other supplemental materials. IPCC describes the exhibition:
This exhibition and its public programming will reflect upon the human experience behind enacted policies and laws on Pueblo communities by other governments. It will add to a well-documented history of Pueblo resilience since the time of Emergence. Interviews with Pueblo members will provide visitors with historical and personal reflections to help them understand and appreciate these historic challenges, often imposed through policy and laws, all intended to purposefully remove Pueblo people away from their core values.
You can learn more about the exhibition on the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center website. In addition, there are more photos of the installation and opening on Ideum's Flickr site.
You can see a video the exhibition opening from the local ABC affiliate, KOAT Channel 7.
on Feb 6, 2012 New Multitouch SDK and a New Site Coming in March!
It's February 2012. For Open Exhibits, this means we are approaching the halfway point in our three-year project. Over the last 18 months, we've been working hard and have learned a lot, mostly from you, our community members. Late last year, we posted our one-year evaluation. We also had a number of conversations with our partners and advisors.
The result? Major updates are underway. All of these changes are planned for public release in March. Here's what's coming.
New Software
- A new Open Exhibits SDK (software development kit). Version 2.0 with support for the Gesture Markup Language and a vastly improved gesture "engine."
- New and rebuilt modules including a vastly improved collection viewer.
Want a sneak peak? Our developers are currently working on an alpha release of the SDK. Drop us a line if you want to test it out.
A New Look and New Features for the Open Exhibits Website
The Open Exhibits website will have a new look. We are completely redesigning the site, making it more intuitive and user friendly.
In addition, we are adding a major new feature, called the "Wanted Board", where we hope to match needs of our museum community members with developers. This feature will include software, graphic development, hardware, and even research. We have the flexibility to add modest "Cash Bounties" on some of these items to help see them through. (You can see mockup of the Wanted Board on the Open Exhibits Flickr site.)
We have been working closely with The Tech Open Source to develop this new feature and they are going to help sponsor some of the items that appear in the wanted board.
Once again, thanks to those community members who help contribute to the Open Exhibits community. These improvements were made possible thanks to your feedback. We will be following up with another round evaluation, to learn more about how we can further improve Open Exhibits. Carrie Williar will be contacting some of you directly.
Finally, you don't have to wait to hear from us. If you have something to say about Open Exhibits, we want your feedback. You can contact Carrie directly with suggestions by email at carrie@openexhibits.org
on Feb 1, 2012 Emerging Exhibits: Exploring New Models of HCI - Course at Ontario Science Centre
Later this spring, I will be teaching a course on exhibit development for the Cultural Resource Management Program at the University of Victoria. The course will be held in Toronto at the Ontario Science Centre from April 22-24.
It is a blended course, so an online component proceeds the three days, starting on April 9. You can learn more about, Emerging Exhibits: Exploring New Models of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and register on the UVIC Website.
I will, of course, be showing off Open Exhibits software and demos along with other examples from the field. Here's a short description of the course:
Computer-based interactive exhibits are undergoing a major transformation. The lone, single-user kiosk is now being replaced by multi-touch tables and walls, motion-sensing spaces, networked installations, and RFID-based exhibits. Advances in augmented reality, speech recognition, eye tracking, and other technologies promise even more radical change for exhibits in the near future. Collectively these new technologies represent a fundamental advance in Human Computer Interaction (HCI).
This course will look at a new generation of computer-based exhibits that are more physical, more intuitive, and have more social qualities than their predecessors.The new models for HCI provide us with opportunities to rethink how technology is used in museums and other public spaces. Computer technology is on the cusp of finally living up to its promise in the museum world, providing a platform for developing compelling and authentic experiences for the public.
Cross-posted from Ideum blog
on Jan 31, 2012 
