Off Base or On Target? Pros and Cons of Wireless and Location-Aware Applications in the Museum

This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art in wireless and location-based services as they have been applied in museums? personal tour programs since 2001, the period of greatest development and proliferation of these technologies in the cultural and educational sectors. Drawing on specific projects, the paper discusses some of the pros and cons of each technology with respect to the visitor experience and the practicalities of installing and maintaining these systems in museums. Finally, the paper assesses the scalability, sustainability and financial implications of wireless and location-based applications, asking which represent viable solutions for the future of cultural access and interpretation. This technical summary is meant to be the basis of a frank and lively discussion during the oral presentation of the paper during the ICHIM 2005 conference, at which there will be the opportunity to look more closely at recent case studies and debate the value of wireless and location-based technologies to museums and their visitors in an open forum of conference participants.