Media exhibits in transition: The advent of multitouch &

multiuser installations

Jim Spadaccinijims@ideum.comIdeum - Open Exhibits

Historically, most computer-based and media exhibits developed for museums have focused on individual interaction.

Of course, this is contrary to what we know about museums

and their visitors...

Museums are social spaces and visitors come in groups.

Until just recently, it was difficult to develop computer-based exhibits that

could move beyond solitary experiences.

Multitouch technology has changed that.

Multitouch allows for the use of intuitive gestures for interaction. More than one point can also mean more than one user.

Multitouch tables that allow for simultaneousinteraction among visitors are effectivelya new platform for exhibit development.

The table form factor allows visitors to collaborate and socialize face-to-face with others.

These types of exhibits require newthinking about design and content.

Only a handful of multitouch, multiuserexhibits have been developed thus far.

A few examples that weʼve created over the last year...

An interactive comparison tool that encourages collaboration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtT11Xarl8Q

Incorporating visitor-created content and dynamic data sets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIyENxvr0cA

Visitors exploring scientific imagery together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEqMyrivRk

The shift to more interactive and moresocial exhibits creates new opportunities

and new challenges for traditional media developers.

New challenges andnew opportunities

This shift to more multiuser exhibitshighlights the role interactivity plays andmakes “presentational” media exhibits

seem even more outmoded.

New challenges andnew opportunities

Computer-based exhibits that are more interactive and social have

greater appeal to museums and their visitors.

New challenges andnew opportunities

The transition of mediaexhibits at museums

presentational to interactiveindividual focused to group focused

museum-created to visitor-generated content

Research backs the shift. Mediaexhibits that are more participatory and social build on established and effective

educational techniques.

Transitions concerning media exhibits at museums

The types of behavior we observe at multitouch tablesresemble the kind of interaction we see at physical exhibits.

Physical exhibits (which have been around for 40+ years)can teach us a lot about developing new media exhibits.

Multitouch and multiuser exhibitscombine the best of both worlds

Flexible and media-rich computer-based educational experiences are melded with physical and social interaction.

www.openexhibits.org

Help design the next step in computer interactives

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No.DRL-1010028. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Photo Credits

Slide #4, 24, 25 ©The Exploratorium - www.exploratorium.edu Slide #6 ©Vancouver AquariumSlide #7 GestureWorks - www.gestureworks.com

Photographs © Jim Spadaccini & Ideum, except the following: