Enhanced cultural experiences

Museums and exhibitions are great places to learn more about the natural sciences or art. However, most people lack the time they need to read lengthy texts about the objects and exhibits they are viewing.

That’s why museums in Europe, the United States and Asia are installing RFID. It can be used to provide visitors with additional information about exhibits and to create a new way for them to interact with what they are seeing.

Interacting with information

Visitors to a technology museum in North America carry RFID bracelets on which are hung RFID tags. The visitor can create a collection of websites for viewing at home by passing his or her tag across the readers attached to exhibits. A museum visitor simply enters an ID number on a special website to retrieve the personalized information in one of two languages.

At a natural history museum in Denmark, children are provided with information about exhibits in formats they like. They are supplied with small handheld computers which they can use to obtain additional information. They point the handheld reader at the RFID tag on the exhibit and call down information in three forms – as an encyclopaedia entry, as a story about a particular theme, or as a game.

These are just a few of the ways in which RFID is already helping people enjoy their leisure time. More examples to come: in amusement arcades, people will be able to play games that are scored with RFID. Players putt golf balls on a mini-golf course or throw basketballs into hoops; each time the ball goes in, the player wins points that can be redeemed for prizes. RFID can also be used to provide tourists with comprehensive information about their surroundings, such as points of interest and shops.