In our latest apps and audioguides round up, we highlight a talking park bench and an app that was developed using staff voices to give authentic local accents
By Kate Corney | Published in Attractions Management 2013 issue 3
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
Guggenheim’s app in celebration of James Turrell In June, Guggenheim New York launched a multimedia mobile app in celebration of the James Turrell Exhibition. The interactive app includes multimedia guides to current and past exhibitions; interviews with artists, curators and exhibition designers; access to more than 1,200 works in the permanent collection; and explorations of the iconic building, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
App users can create their own virtual collection by selecting favourite works from the museum’s holdings and special exhibitions. There are also educational tours for families and children as well as verbal imaging descriptions, text enlargement options, and, for iOS devices, VoiceOver technology for visitors who are blind or have low vision.
The app provides transcripts for audio and closed-captioning for videos (iOS only) for visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing and is t-coil compatible. Social media access is available, encouraging user interaction and content sharing.
The Guggenheim app, sponsored by Bloomberg, was developed by the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Tristan Interactive, part of the Espro Acoustiguide Group.
“The Guggenheim app is an essential educational tool that will enhance the understanding and appreciation of the permanent collection and special exhibitions, not only within our museum walls, but also around the world,” says Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. “The app is free of charge and we’re grateful to Bloomberg for its support.” The app is available for download at www.guggenheim.org/app
Guggenheim celebrates James Turrell’s first exhibition in a New York museum since 1980
The free, interactive app enables users to explore the Guggenheim’s collections
A park bench with a sound difference Visitors to Llanyrafon Manor grounds in Torfaen, Wales, UK can hear about the local bird population as well as a snippet of each bird call while sitting on a bespoke solar-powered audio bench.
The Audio Bench by Blackbox-av advises visitors where to look from their vantage point on the bench to view various nesting birds. Visitors to the manor interact with a panel on the bench to play the messages, which have been recorded in both Welsh and English.
Blackbox-av has incorporated solar electronics in the 6ft (1.8ft) teak bench for public use. Several of the rear bench struts are replaced with the custom sound point to seamlessly integrate the audio into the bench and the front button panel offers visitors the option of two buttons playing five sequential messages, recorded and uploaded by Blackbox-av. The custom solar electronics are designed to contend with the full variety of Welsh weather.
Blackbox-av specialises in AV solutions and software for the museum and heritage sectors. The new design has been added to its existing range of outdoor interpretation products.
A solar-powered audio bench advises visitors about the local bird population
Wiretag lets viewers ‘jump in’ to sound track Dataton has launched a Wiretag transponder for audioguides. The Wiretag provides a smart link between audio and video as part of the Pickup audioguide system. Visitors carrying the Pickup audioguide point and click at the Wiretag, located by displays or other video sources, and hear the show’s audio from the correct point. The transponder works up to 8m (26ft) away from the display with visuals presented using the company’s Watchout software.
“Wiretag allows the direct integration of a Watchout show with our Pickup audioguide system,” says Lars Sandlund, chief operating officer, Dataton.
“Simply point and click the Wiretag with a Pickup audio guide, and you jump straight into the sound track at the correct point in the show, regardless of how much time has elapsed.”
The Wiretag is primarily designed for use with Dataton’s new Dataton Watchpax media server, which runs the Watchout show, media control and image-manipulation software. The Wiretag transponder and Pickup audio-guide can also be incorporated in audiovisual systems that use Watchout.
Wiretag allows direct integration of a Watchout show with the Pickup audioguide system
Wiretag works up to 8m (26ft) away
Qin – The eternal emperor and his terracotta warriors For the exhibition Qin – The eternal emperor and his terracotta warriors, which runs until November, the Bernisches Historisches Museum in Switzerland offers both an app and an audioguide.
The mobile application is for iPhones or Android devices and offers information about China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, who created the Chinese Empire more than 2,000 years ago, and his monumental tomb with its terracotta army. Approximately 220 original exhibits from China’s Shaanxi province, where the tomb was discovered in 1974, provide an understanding of the birth of China and bring the world of the First Emperor to life.
The app’s aim is for visitors to explore the history of China in an entertaining way and help them to experience the items on display better. Maria Khayutina, the exhibition curator, and Regula Wyss, head of education and outreach at the Bernisches Historisches Museum, selected 30 items, including the terracotta figures, which highlight and reflect the variety of the exhibits.
Museum media company Linon Medien GmbH, Berlin recorded 30 two minute-long commentaries to accompany each item in understandable and entertaining language and translated these into French, English and Italian. Linon director Julia Oldemeier says: “It’s hardly surprising that museum visitors are turning to their smartphone rather than to an audioguide. Unlike the audioguide that has to be returned after it’s been used in the museum, you can have the app before you come to the museum and keep it afterwards.”
The app enables users to learn more about Emperor Qin and the Chinese Empire before arriving at the museum
The app enables users to learn more about Emperor Qin and the Chinese Empire before arriving at the museum
Antenna’s SmartRack for iOS and Android devices Antenna International has developed the technology to let museums and cultural attractions offer visitor experiences on both iOS and Android platforms.
The multi-platform hardware uses Antenna’s bespoke device casing and its new SmartRack™ – a modular charging system designed for iOS and Android solutions, as well as Antenna’s own X-plorer™ system, the new XP-Iris 2™. Each charging rack has a built-in computer allowing remote access to devices, facilitating content uploads and updates, player diagnostics and repair, and activity data analysis of every visitor device.
In partnership with Samsung, Antenna’s solution for Android devices was revealed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where visitors were able to enjoy the cultural experience on the Samsung Galaxy 4 player.
Antenna also opened two iOS platform-based tours using its iTouch solution at MoMA and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Attractions can offer visitor experiences on both iOS and Android using SmartRack
Stockport Air Raid Shelters adds audioguide Stockport Air Raid shelters, UK has introduced an audioguide using staff voices, as part of its refurbishment. The Guide ID Podcatcher platform was used to create the audioguide tour, which is offered to visitors within the admission fee.
The tour is an hour-long highlight of the underground tunnels which civilians sheltered in during World War II. Using the audioguide, visitors receive a short introduction at each stop and then use their handsets to hear more in-depth information. For the content, staff made on-site recordings to reflect the local accent. Sound effects were used to create the effect of standing in a tunnel. The staff were trained and directed by project partner Open Production, which also added the sound effects.
Mitchell Brown of Guide ID says: “An issue was the fact that the tunnels are very damp and can interfere with hardware. The Podcatchers can be used inside and out, but the triggers can’t, so we have special outside water-tight IDentifers (triggers) which we used in the tunnels.
Guide ID supplied all the hardware and software. Brown adds: “The system’s so simple in use that installation is performed by the organisation and the audio upload is done via the internet. The ‘plug and play’ system can be run from any computer with internet.”
The Podcatcher platform also provides a tool for visitor research, evaluation and marketing to promote other Stockport visitor sites. Stockport councillor Iain Roberts, says: “Stockport Air Raid Shelters is one of the most poignant visitor experiences in the UK, offering an unparalleled insight into life on the home front.”
The new audioguide enables visitors to hear stories about the people who used the tunnels during World War II
Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the UK, designed to accommodate up to
6,500 people.
The new audioguide enables visitors to hear stories about the people who used the tunnels during World War II
Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the UK, designed to accommodate up to
6,500 people.
In our latest apps and audioguides round up, we highlight a talking park bench and an app that was developed using staff voices to give authentic local accents
By Kate Corney | Published in Attractions Management 2013 issue 3
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2013 issue 3
Editor's letter: Authenticity
Having authenticity and human engagement at the heart of an attraction
creates an energy which ensures its success
Profile: Terri Irwin
The conservationist, social entrepreneur
and operator of Australia Zoo describes
how she and her late husband, Steve,
built up their business and how she and
her children are continuing his legacy
Analysis: Riding High
The TEA/AECOM theme index report
for 2012 shows that the industry's
continuing to do well with recordbreaking
attendances for many parks
Waterparks: Tapping the experts
The merging of waterparks and theme
parks, shared experiences and multiple
sensation rides are among the trends,
as we find out from the operators
Top Team: Class act
The first themed entertainment design
degree launched last September at SCAD.
The team behind the programme describe
their inspiration and the challenges
Space centre: Space age
Space Shuttle Atlantis has come home
to rest at Kennedy Space Centre Visitor
Complex. COO Bill Moore tells us how
people react when they see the shuttle
Mystery shopper: The cat's whiskers?
Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is among the
attractions at the new Puteri Harbour
Family Theme Park in Malaysia. We pay
a visit to learn more about the offer
Heritage: Mary Rose Museum
King Henry VIII's war ship is brought
back to life in an exciting new museum,
which takes visitors back to the day
she sank, almost 500 years ago
Design project profile: All hands on deck
Mary Rose Museum's design team
tell us how they created a building
that complemented, but didn't
compete with, the famous ship and
the challenges of working around
the hot box it's being conserved in
3D/4D/5D: Work dimension
We find out how film distributors work
with operators and look at some of
the new products that are available
on the market for attractions
Show preview: EAS 2013
The suppliers reveal the products and
projects they'll be showcasing in Paris
Guggenheim’s app in celebration of James Turrell In June, Guggenheim New York launched a multimedia mobile app in celebration of the James Turrell Exhibition. The interactive app includes multimedia guides to current and past exhibitions; interviews with artists, curators and exhibition designers; access to more than 1,200 works in the permanent collection; and explorations of the iconic building, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
App users can create their own virtual collection by selecting favourite works from the museum’s holdings and special exhibitions. There are also educational tours for families and children as well as verbal imaging descriptions, text enlargement options, and, for iOS devices, VoiceOver technology for visitors who are blind or have low vision.
The app provides transcripts for audio and closed-captioning for videos (iOS only) for visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing and is t-coil compatible. Social media access is available, encouraging user interaction and content sharing.
The Guggenheim app, sponsored by Bloomberg, was developed by the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Tristan Interactive, part of the Espro Acoustiguide Group.
“The Guggenheim app is an essential educational tool that will enhance the understanding and appreciation of the permanent collection and special exhibitions, not only within our museum walls, but also around the world,” says Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. “The app is free of charge and we’re grateful to Bloomberg for its support.” The app is available for download at www.guggenheim.org/app
Guggenheim celebrates James Turrell’s first exhibition in a New York museum since 1980
The free, interactive app enables users to explore the Guggenheim’s collections
A park bench with a sound difference Visitors to Llanyrafon Manor grounds in Torfaen, Wales, UK can hear about the local bird population as well as a snippet of each bird call while sitting on a bespoke solar-powered audio bench.
The Audio Bench by Blackbox-av advises visitors where to look from their vantage point on the bench to view various nesting birds. Visitors to the manor interact with a panel on the bench to play the messages, which have been recorded in both Welsh and English.
Blackbox-av has incorporated solar electronics in the 6ft (1.8ft) teak bench for public use. Several of the rear bench struts are replaced with the custom sound point to seamlessly integrate the audio into the bench and the front button panel offers visitors the option of two buttons playing five sequential messages, recorded and uploaded by Blackbox-av. The custom solar electronics are designed to contend with the full variety of Welsh weather.
Blackbox-av specialises in AV solutions and software for the museum and heritage sectors. The new design has been added to its existing range of outdoor interpretation products.
A solar-powered audio bench advises visitors about the local bird population
Wiretag lets viewers ‘jump in’ to sound track Dataton has launched a Wiretag transponder for audioguides. The Wiretag provides a smart link between audio and video as part of the Pickup audioguide system. Visitors carrying the Pickup audioguide point and click at the Wiretag, located by displays or other video sources, and hear the show’s audio from the correct point. The transponder works up to 8m (26ft) away from the display with visuals presented using the company’s Watchout software.
“Wiretag allows the direct integration of a Watchout show with our Pickup audioguide system,” says Lars Sandlund, chief operating officer, Dataton.
“Simply point and click the Wiretag with a Pickup audio guide, and you jump straight into the sound track at the correct point in the show, regardless of how much time has elapsed.”
The Wiretag is primarily designed for use with Dataton’s new Dataton Watchpax media server, which runs the Watchout show, media control and image-manipulation software. The Wiretag transponder and Pickup audio-guide can also be incorporated in audiovisual systems that use Watchout.
Wiretag allows direct integration of a Watchout show with the Pickup audioguide system
Wiretag works up to 8m (26ft) away
Qin – The eternal emperor and his terracotta warriors For the exhibition Qin – The eternal emperor and his terracotta warriors, which runs until November, the Bernisches Historisches Museum in Switzerland offers both an app and an audioguide.
The mobile application is for iPhones or Android devices and offers information about China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, who created the Chinese Empire more than 2,000 years ago, and his monumental tomb with its terracotta army. Approximately 220 original exhibits from China’s Shaanxi province, where the tomb was discovered in 1974, provide an understanding of the birth of China and bring the world of the First Emperor to life.
The app’s aim is for visitors to explore the history of China in an entertaining way and help them to experience the items on display better. Maria Khayutina, the exhibition curator, and Regula Wyss, head of education and outreach at the Bernisches Historisches Museum, selected 30 items, including the terracotta figures, which highlight and reflect the variety of the exhibits.
Museum media company Linon Medien GmbH, Berlin recorded 30 two minute-long commentaries to accompany each item in understandable and entertaining language and translated these into French, English and Italian. Linon director Julia Oldemeier says: “It’s hardly surprising that museum visitors are turning to their smartphone rather than to an audioguide. Unlike the audioguide that has to be returned after it’s been used in the museum, you can have the app before you come to the museum and keep it afterwards.”
The app enables users to learn more about Emperor Qin and the Chinese Empire before arriving at the museum
The app enables users to learn more about Emperor Qin and the Chinese Empire before arriving at the museum
Antenna’s SmartRack for iOS and Android devices Antenna International has developed the technology to let museums and cultural attractions offer visitor experiences on both iOS and Android platforms.
The multi-platform hardware uses Antenna’s bespoke device casing and its new SmartRack™ – a modular charging system designed for iOS and Android solutions, as well as Antenna’s own X-plorer™ system, the new XP-Iris 2™. Each charging rack has a built-in computer allowing remote access to devices, facilitating content uploads and updates, player diagnostics and repair, and activity data analysis of every visitor device.
In partnership with Samsung, Antenna’s solution for Android devices was revealed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where visitors were able to enjoy the cultural experience on the Samsung Galaxy 4 player.
Antenna also opened two iOS platform-based tours using its iTouch solution at MoMA and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
Attractions can offer visitor experiences on both iOS and Android using SmartRack
Stockport Air Raid Shelters adds audioguide Stockport Air Raid shelters, UK has introduced an audioguide using staff voices, as part of its refurbishment. The Guide ID Podcatcher platform was used to create the audioguide tour, which is offered to visitors within the admission fee.
The tour is an hour-long highlight of the underground tunnels which civilians sheltered in during World War II. Using the audioguide, visitors receive a short introduction at each stop and then use their handsets to hear more in-depth information. For the content, staff made on-site recordings to reflect the local accent. Sound effects were used to create the effect of standing in a tunnel. The staff were trained and directed by project partner Open Production, which also added the sound effects.
Mitchell Brown of Guide ID says: “An issue was the fact that the tunnels are very damp and can interfere with hardware. The Podcatchers can be used inside and out, but the triggers can’t, so we have special outside water-tight IDentifers (triggers) which we used in the tunnels.
Guide ID supplied all the hardware and software. Brown adds: “The system’s so simple in use that installation is performed by the organisation and the audio upload is done via the internet. The ‘plug and play’ system can be run from any computer with internet.”
The Podcatcher platform also provides a tool for visitor research, evaluation and marketing to promote other Stockport visitor sites. Stockport councillor Iain Roberts, says: “Stockport Air Raid Shelters is one of the most poignant visitor experiences in the UK, offering an unparalleled insight into life on the home front.”
The new audioguide enables visitors to hear stories about the people who used the tunnels during World War II
Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the UK, designed to accommodate up to
6,500 people.
The new audioguide enables visitors to hear stories about the people who used the tunnels during World War II
Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the UK, designed to accommodate up to
6,500 people.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
