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New mobile interpretation for visitors

58% of the UK population owns a smartphone, and most people take them out everywhere they go.

Mobile interpretation allows users to scan special signs along the South Downs to provide useful online and text information straight to their mobiles.

A trial of different types of mobile interpretation is being run along the South Downs National Trail.

The aim is to see how visitors respond to different mobile interpretation types like QR codes, NFC Tags and Augmented Reality. We want to see how these new technologies can best be used, to aid visitors of all ages that carry mobiles, to understand our unique visitor sites, culture, heritage and history more deeply.

Quick Response (QR) codes

Quick Response (QR) codes are two dimensional barcodes and 85% of people have already seen them in magazines or posters. They are the most common type of mobile scanning technology, with users scanning them to get information, see products or services or for special online offers.

This trial uses QR codes to link to mobile website pages at key visitor points of interest along the South Downs National Trail. When you scan them they link within a few seconds to a website page that has pictures, audio, video, text, maps, interactive games and lots more that you can access over the Web. 

click to play the YouTube video

  Factsheet - QR codes and how they work

Scanning QR codes with a mobile

You just need a mobile with a camera and internet browser, plus a mobile contract that lets you connect to the Web. You'll also need a small FREE ‘App’ on your phone or device, which is easy to download.

Download a QR code reader

The QR reader apps we recommend can be found and downloaded FREE from your preferred mobile app store:

No Luck? Just search for any 'QR Reader' in your mobile App store and follow the instructions.

Using NFC or Augmented Reality

NFC Tags are robust but paper-thin, with a special pinhead sized chip with a small aerial, designed for scanning by an NFC enabled smartphone.

To scan NFC Tags you'll need an NFC enabled phone, such as a Windows 8 phone or newer Nokia, Android or Blackberry smartphone. Just place your mobile over the 'Media point' on the special signs. You may need to switch on NFC in your phone settings, and may also require an 'NFC Reader' from any mobile App market.

   Factsheet - NFC Tags and how they work  

Augmented Reality uses the camera on your mobile and a mobile App. The type of AR on trial enables you to scan pictures at the top of special signs. Link icons then appear on your mobile's screen over the top of the picture that you can click to provide useful extra information about a visitor site.

To scan South Downs AR signs you need a touchscreen mobile with mobile internet connection and the LAYAR Augmented Reality App - download it here

  Factsheet - how Augmented Reality works

Take our QR, NFC and AR survey

We would like everyone to contribute to our survey research to help us make mobile interpretation better.

We have a 5 minute online research questionnaire that will help us understand your experience of using QR codes, NFC Tags and Augmented Reality.

take our 5 minute QR NFC and AR survey NOW!

Find out more

Run your own mobile trial - contact us

Social Media and other links

YouTube heritage video channel  12BC on Linked In  ITiC on Facebook  ITiC on Twitter  Online heritage newspaper  ITiC on Wordpress  Download i-nigma QR reader  QR code trial factsheet  Andrew Kerry-Bedell at ITiC

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