So, we finally got a picture of Christina, only I found out it’s Cristina, without an ‘h’. Or so her website states. Without further ado:
So yes, it is quite awesome, she is doing this project:
http://digilander.libero.it/lowcoins/our_project.htm
One of the boys in the team is her boyfriend, his name is Paolo.
So, yes. That’s it, shoo!
So, I started my internship on Monday, as did Gaby her school.
I basically work from 9 till 5 on my project, which is fine really, because it’s a lot of work that needs to be done. There’s this whole Italian athmosphere of taking things slow and easy that just doesn’t seem right to me though.. I can’t quite put my finger on it.. I’m pretty sure 9 to 5 means 9:30 to 5 here though…
Anyway, to get into the more technical part of what I’m doing *WARNING: BORING*
I’ve been looking into some way of directing people through a closed space by object. Now I’ve looked into several ways of actually giong about doing that.
Basically, there’s gps, which is really just made for outdoor use, but with a lot of hassle and receivers and amplifiers and that kind of crap you could probably find a way to apply it. Which brings me to the fact that if it could be done, which I’m doubting due to the nature of museums. It wouldn’t nearly be accurate enough to actually be able to pinpoint the exact location of an object you are bumping into and simultaneously informing you about it. Furthermore, it would take a great deal of bullshit to actually get it installed. I don’t like messing around with that…
Then there’s infrared, which works, but due to battery life and range isn’t really that effective. Plus, it’s somewhat like using your Wii, it just beeps your location all the time, it just doesn’t seem useful in terms of information sharing..
There’s node mapping, using the SVG mapping technology that is used in gameplay, which is based on nodes leading to different nodes leading to nodes.. and stuff. Which is interesting, but really hard to make, for me at least, and not that easy to apply for someone with limited compy savvy..
And there’s some more ways I forgot, but anyway, I chose RFID chips.
Which, in terms of navigation in general might not be the easiest/most profitable choice. But.. in terms of navigating through a museum, based on objects, not on route or whichever, it is quite interesting. It doesn’t actually lead you in a specified direction, it’s more like a handy information sharer/tracker of where you are. Basically, you have these RFID tags, which carry an ID#, they are passive and do nothing but contain this number. Very cost effective, I’ve seen them for about 40 cents each on the net. Then you get to the part where you’re gonna want to read the tag numbers to actually make use of them. There are readers to do this.
My actual plan in terms of applying this to my project is simple. You tag every object in the museum, which is inadvertently a very good way to map the museum and make an online catalogue. Plus if the objects are moved, they already have their tag applied.
You then apply readers to several PDA’s. When someone carrying a PDA steps in range of a tag, the tag ID# will be sent to the reader, which will enter the number into a php page, which in turn will be opened in the PDA browser. Because all tags are unique, every tag ID# has their own little space in the database, which contains, say: the name, location, description and a picture of the object the tag is connected to. The page that opens is a generic page that has a layout in which it projects all the fields connected to the tag ID#.
This way, to add new objects would be as easy as to add some information into a database.
Another benefit from doing this through a database is the fact that this is basically an online catalogue of everything the museum has to offer. Which could be used for a website or for archiving.
One thing I’m still working on is how to actually write the source code, and, how to apply some sort of sign language into this, by means of a videoguide or something:
Ok, so I’m still working no the removing of blue screen… I just started working with video programmes today… (not including windows movie maker). Also, I would like to have subtitles in it, I have made an easy to understand paint image to make you understand:
So yes, that would be awesome..
So that’s as far as I’ll go today.
*BORING ENDED*
So yesterday we went out to dinner with Inge and her friend whose name I just keep forgetting… Sorry!
It was fun, a nice little restaurant with an old man reciting the menu at your table so you couldn’t order anything that was on the menu but not in the kitchen. I understood about half of what he was saying and he understood about nothing I was saying, well, he understood pera… but not my funghi e prosciuto, which is indeed hard to comprehend, although Gaby understood me..
What else, oh yes, we talked about all kinds of things, including, somehow, me being lazy and accustomed to a luxury lifestyle. Which, I have to agree to, since I do like an easy life with easy going people doing easy things. Preferably none at all. Still, I think in my defense, I do at times try to work and earn money and clean and stuff… Not like some people who moved to Italy with me…
Anyway, we also talked about some poets and Inge was fascinated by the old man and his wife in the kitchen, and uhm we had some caffè so yeah, it was all good.
Uhm.. oh, today Christina will help us pick out the best anti-musquito deathray. Which I’m really looking forward to, since I have developped quite the allergy to this specific type of mosquito, photos will be shared shortly.
Well, I’ll keep it at that for now, I will write some more about the workings of Final Cut Pro later…
|
