The future of museums

In November I undertook a project with the Canadian Heritage Information Network to explore potential future information technologies and their implications for museums. First I identified 25 technological scenarios based on technologies that already exist, at least in the laboratory. Then we asked a number of experts who would help to predict when, if ever, these technologies would be widespread within North America. Subsequently, we held a session with museum professionals, consultants, students and educators to explore how these technolgies might be used in museums and imagine their transformative potential. The process is continuing this month with the writing of a number of 'vignettes' that depict new realities in which the museum might find itself in the coming years and the response to these vignettes by second year Museum Studies students who are looking at their current plans for an exhibit in 2007 and how these might change in light of tgechnological opportunities envisioned for 2013.

The experts predicted that within six years, most North American museums clients (though of course the statements say "Canadian" since the study was funded by CHIN) will consider it commonplace to:

Use massively virtual collaboration

Rather than relying simply on what they know or can learn from a database or website, Canadian adults and tourists will be accustomed to asking for help from an international, distributed, community of anonymous others who can solve problems, suggest alternatives and provide facts, whenever “help” is needed. 

Presume always on broadband wireless           

Just as we have come to expect cell phone coverage throughout the world, the average Canadian adult or tourist will expect broadband wireless Internet access, supporting streaming video level access, wherever they are. Business models that ensure this may be public/free, advertising-based or subscription, but that in itself will make no difference, though some subscription services, richer in their offerings, will co-exist even if free ends up predominating.            

Receive location-aware narrowcasting           

Businesses and governments will narrowcast to those who are nearby and interested in receiving information about services they offer or are already clients, and will provide means for those who receive messages to communicate in two-directions, interrogate systems, and obtain goods and services. The average Canadian adult or tourist will have used such narrowcast data to find restaurants and entertainment, check into hotels or obtain boarding passes for planes, and perform numerous other day-to-day chores.           

Expect interactive immediate surroundings           

The average Canadian adult or tourist will have had many experiences with an immediate environment that conveys information to them which is relevant to where they are and what they are doing. It is not unlikely that they will even consider such services to be the norm and view places that are not aware of them and able to provide such relevant information as effectively “closed”.           

Perform operation at a distance           

Adult Canadians and tourists will engage in some operations at a distance using the Internet. Although they will be aware that doctors are performing surgery in this way and that soldiers are driving tanks and firing shells from a distance, for most their actions will initially be fairly trivial – extensions of their current RF technology for opening garage doors as they approach their homes – but they will not be surprised to extend this to more important things.           

Accept RFID enabled action           

The average Canadian or tourist will have had numerous daily experiences with RFID tagged objects that report to cashiers at store checkout, serve as tickets for events, open doors, tell inquirers about themselves, provide instruction for assembly, and in other ways make the world of objects something that communicates with the actions of people. Behind the scenes they will have benefited from an even greater number of such applications that they are essentially unaware of but which are part of the fabric of logistics, medicine, and maintenance services.           

Employ robotic assistants           

Robotic assistants will be available to adult Canadians and tourists to do a variety of physical and mental chores. The extent to which people adopt such robotic assistants will be similar to that of having pets – a matter of personal choice about something universally possible. Indeed some robots will substitute for pets in emotional respects and be more useful in many other ways.           

Wear a unified information device           

The miniaturization of components and fall in cost of computing power will have reached the point where the “single device” for computing and communication will have become a series of fashion accessories that adult Canadians and tourists wear, as jewelry or within their clothing. They will receive and transmit voice and data with an integrated computer, phone, camera, gps, etc. that enables hands free, always on, communication at a distance.

Assume permanent accompaniment           

Because those in their social and business circles are also always on the network, Canadian adults and tourists will be able to always have their friends and family “with them”.  Virtual spaces in which they can share their discrete experiences and integrate their reactions will be evolving as rich social computing takes on the role of making all experiences potentially collective

Receive information based on location           

The average Canadian adult or tourist will receive information baed on where they are on the face of the earth and capable of locating other things – streets, businesses, other people – on maplike displays. In their cars, Canadians will expect such systems to interact with information on road conditions, accidents and parking and will not be surprised that they also interact with speed limit enforcement or toll collection.           

Accept programmable materials           

Most Canadian adults and tourists will have experienced materials that have been programmed to respond in specific ways to stimulae, such as changing their color, shape or electrical resistance on reaching a given temperature, being exposed to light or pressure, other changes in their environment. Consumer products will emerge that show its promise.           

Utilize 3D Video communication           

Canadian adults and tourists will have had experiences with life-like 3D projections within communications services. Services providing the capacity to transmit high definition 3D images in “phone” calls, or bring conference callers into virtual communal spaces may involve high end hardware or simply utilize the existing home HDTV.