A mobile RFID-based tour system with instant microblogging

The self-guided tour system in a museum or an art gallery usually provides only one-way information to the visitor. The visitor follows a pre-designed route guided by the system and cannot freely choose any exhibit for detail information. This kind of systems lacks an interaction mechanism with the visitor. This research aims at designing an environment that allows the visitor to freely select any interested exhibit and instantly share his/her note or remark about the exhibit with others through the Internet. The information not only can be accessed by other visitors, but also can be broadcasted through microblogging. In the Web 2.0 era, this word-of-mouth effect can be very helpful in promoting the exhibition. This paper presents a prototype system for such an environment. The system is realized by the RFID and mobile technologies. It is also useful in outdoor scenic sites, exhibition shows and even department stores for information sharing and advertisement. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.