Katharina HOLZINGER / Manfred LEHNER / Markus FASSOLD / Andreas HOLZINGER
(Graz, Austria)
Introduction and Motivation:
A particular problem for students of Archaeology is that objects found at urban archaeological excavations have been removed to a museum and the site either built over or otherwise no longer visible. Methods of labelling these sites and providing information about their contents and history can be made accessible using ubiquitous technology and mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, etc.).
Background and Related Work:
There are examples of cultural mobile guides that put the end user and their need for mobility at the focus of attention, which can be easily consulted through natural interaction (e.g. Augello et al., 2006); previous work has also been done on Augmenting the Learning Experience in Museums (e.g. Hall & Bannon, 2005).
Methods and Materials:
Two main categories of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) transponders are used in these experiments: passive near field (LF, HF) systems and active far field (UHF) systems, together with mobile computers.
Results and Discussion:
Practical experiences and lessons learned are reported. Results of the use of such smart objects during educational tours through university field work, observed during a typical urban archaeological tour through the City of Graz. Advantages and disadvantages and possible solutions are discussed.
Keywords:
RFID, Ubiquitous Computing, Archaeology and Computers, Urban Archaeology