20 September 2017
Armoury Chamber Guide
Photo of the Armoury Chamber building from www.kreml.ru
Having a GPS at your fingertips has become a standard practice. With GPS, you always know where you are; you can build a route or discover new places. Now such GPS is available in one of the most popular museums in Russia.
Together with KAMIS, we have developed a handy museum guide with iBeacon technology for indoor navigation.
Together with KAMIS, we have developed a handy museum guide with iBeacon technology for indoor navigation.
ABOUT CLIENT
The Moscow Kremlin State Historical and Cultural Museum and Heritage Site is one of the most technologically advanced museums that actively introduces new information technologies and pays a great deal of attention to creating informative content to draw new visitors.
Fragment of the virtual tour of the Armory Chamber www.kreml.ru
Historical and architectural landmarks as a part of the Moscow Kremlin are included into the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in Russia.Among must-see attractions inside the Kremlin is the Armoury Chamber. With numerous treasures exhibited in ten halls with floor space exceeding 2,000 m2, the Armoury Chamber is the place where a visitor needs a mobile guide that will help navigate through rooms and learn about the centuries-long history of the Russian state.
The guide was developed in response to request from KAMIS. In close collaboration with KAMIS, we implemented the guide development project. KAMIS is one of the most powerful innovative museum information system designed to solve a broad range of museum problems. Widely used by the Armoury, KAMIS was open to adding new applications. Therefore we were requested to integrate our mobile guide into KAMIS.
PROJECT MISSION
В прошлом году музеи Московского Кремля побили рекорд посещаемости — 2,2 миллиона человек. Поскольку это число продолжает расти, целью проекта стало уделить внимание каждому посетителю, а также показать российскую историю с помощью современного решения, доступного каждому.The guide was developed in response to request from KAMIS. In close collaboration with KAMIS, we implemented the guide development project. KAMIS is one of the most powerful innovative museum information system designed to solve a broad range of museum problems. Widely used by the Armoury, KAMIS was open to adding new applications. Therefore we were requested to integrate our mobile guide into KAMIS.
SOLUTION
Special attention was paid to developing an intuitive and attractive user interface of the application. Initially, we carried out target audience analysis to understand who are our users and come up with potential use cases. Based on the above data and functional requirements, our designers started working on the design of separate screens.
The application’s look and feel was made consistent with the Moscow Kremlin Museums branding identity. Mobile and tablet versions were developed separately to ensure that the application was displayed correctly on all kinds of mobile devices. In total, our designers produced more than 150 application screens.
The application’s navigation component was implemented based on Navigine platform. The navigation service allows indoor positioning with high accuracy in conditions of no satellite signal being received.
Navigation is provided using iBeacon technology – special Bluetooth beacons that enable visitors to navigate through the museum. Beacons help visitors see where they are and view detailed information about showcases and exhibits that are in close proximity to visitors.
Our experts installed 124 hidden Bluetooth beacons in the museum. To enable the visitor to see where he is and build a route inside the museum, we created and embedded an accurate museum map. By doing so, we managed to provide positioning with 1-3 meters accuracy.
Another key point was the application content. The content was provided on top of the KAMIS database. In other words, our application automatically retrieves information about showcases and exhibits from the existing database.
RESULT
Our project deliverables is a bright illustration of how advanced iBeacon technology can be leveraged for indoor navigation while presenting content efficiently and sparking interest to Russia’s rich cultural heritage.It is worthy of note that that museum staff can quickly update content and data in the application through the administrator panel.
Navigation trough exhibition is possible both automatically using hidden Bluetooth beacons and using numeric code (showcase code).
The application also keeps the user undated on latest news and new items on the museum collection. Built-in games add interactivity to the application. For example, Games enable the user to match pairs in the Olympic Service or complete Lion Hunting Quest or take the quiz What Do We Know About Prizes. Material presented as a game allows the user remembering details and acquiring new knowledge. Our experts together with the museum representatives are currently discussing the possibility of adding new features and developing new games.
At the initial stage, the application was deployed as the Armoury Chamber guide. In future, as the application is expected to be deployed in all Kremlin Museums.
Our mobile multimedia application Moscow Kremlin Museums. The Armoury Chamber. for smartphones and tablets is available in two languages–Russian and English and you can download our free application for iOS and Android.
UPDATE: According to RUSSIA BEYOND, our application is ranked number one among free Russian museum apps.
Do you like the app? Do you want to create a similar one?
