Exhibition layout - going interactive?

belstone · October 30, 2021, 10:00:58 PM

I've been thinking for a while about how to provide exhibition visitors with information about a layout - how it was built, locos and rolling stock, prototype information etc. I was looking at putting a couple of touchscreens at the front of the layout, loaded with what is basically a local website, navigation via buttons on screen etc. Not hard to do, but then I thought, why not put the info on a live website that people can access via their smartphones? I don't know what percentage of show visitors have a smartphone but it must be fairly high.

The idea is to provide an interactive element. For instance you might want to know how the baseboards were constructed, or see some photos of the place that the model is based on, or find out about individual locos. I can't recall seeing anything like this at shows. Maybe I just wasn't looking for it because I don't have a smartphone... Are people already doing something like this with exhibition layouts? And if not, would it be popular enough to be worth the effort?

Richard

Belly · October 31, 2021, 12:07:00 AM

Richard,

It's a very interesting thought and a more current method of reaching out. In the past, I have seen Power Point displays continuously showing the progress of layouts but what you suggest provides members of the public with, essentially, a menu. I know museums use this interactive method to enhance their displays and maybe a little advice from someone in that field may provide the guidance you require.

I wish you well with this endeavour and would like to know how you progress.

Cheers,

Geoff

Bealman · October 31, 2021, 12:14:21 AM

Yeah, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) in Hobart springs immediately to mind. They do all sorts of weird stuff with smartphone technology.

RBTKraisee · October 31, 2021, 01:04:08 AM

That's a great idea!

Because I'm planning to use JMRI on my DCC++ layout myself, the thought occurs to me that it might even be feasible to write a modification to the dispatcher program that would allow the public to 'request' their favourite train to be dispatched from the fiddle yard.

It might be better to do that through a touchscreen at the layout though. Hmmm, ideas, ideas...

Ross.

railsquid · October 31, 2021, 01:11:54 AM

Quote from: belstone on October 30, 2021, 10:00:58 PM
I've been thinking for a while about how to provide exhibition visitors with information about a layout - how it was built, locos and rolling stock, prototype information etc. I was looking at putting a couple of touchscreens at the front of the layout, loaded with what is basically a local website, navigation via buttons on screen etc. Not hard to do, but then I thought, why not put the info on a live website that people can access via their smartphones? I don't know what percentage of show visitors have a smartphone but it must be fairly high.

The idea is to provide an interactive element. For instance you might want to know how the baseboards were constructed, or see some photos of the place that the model is based on, or find out about individual locos. I can't recall seeing anything like this at shows. Maybe I just wasn't looking for it because I don't have a smartphone... Are people already doing something like this with exhibition layouts? And if not, would it be popular enough to be worth the effort?

Personally I would have no interest in interacting with a touch screen, due to, well, the touch element of it (ewww). However as most people these days carry their own portable touch screen, a QR code which links to more information would certainly be interesting.

GrahamB · October 31, 2021, 08:10:50 AM

Interesting idea that would probably be of more interest for our younger visitors.

My immediate thought would be to provide a QR code which links to a website, youtube etc.

I've no idea how to do any of this or what it would cost.

belstone · October 31, 2021, 08:59:32 AM

Quote from: GrahamB on October 31, 2021, 08:10:50 AM
Interesting idea that would probably be of more interest for our younger visitors.

My immediate thought would be to provide a QR code which links to a website, youtube etc.

I've no idea how to do any of this or what it would cost.

Building a website these days is very easy and cheap, much quicker and easier than building an actual layout. QR code on the front of the layout is an excellent idea, visitors can just scan that with their phones. The tricky bit is creating the website content which has to be informative, entertaining, concise and easily viewed on a small screen. One idea I had is that someone can type in the number of a loco they see on the layout and bring up all the information about it on screen. I love the idea of people being able to use their phones to request particular trains. Anything that gets people interacting with the layout is worth looking at. I'm planning to run "Stobs" to a timetable at shows: if this could somehow be displayed in real time people could see when a train which interested them was due through, maybe even set an alert on their phone for it. That might be getting a bit too complicated though.

One possible problem occurs to me: how good is the mobile signal going to be inside an exhibition hall? I've made voice calls a couple of times but never tried using 3G/4G at a show. Touchscreen tablets have some downsides: as @railsquid has pointed out, not everyone is going to want to use a shared touchscreen especially in the age of Covid. It's also quite an expensive solution, and every single device I have ever owned with a touchscreen has stopped working properly within months. Using a website has the further advantage that people can go back for another look when they get home: the website could include a photo gallery, videos etc which you wouldn't need while you had the actual layout in front of you.

Richard

GrahamB · October 31, 2021, 09:12:52 AM

Dveloping the idea further and taking the 3G/4G/5G/WiFi thoughts further, I would guess the QR code could be printed in a show guide so that, if it didn't work at the show, it would still work when the viewer got home.

I'd steer clear of a touchscreen on the layout as it's probably inviting trouble, a bit like my "do not touch" signs which always end up on the floor because someone touched them...........

Anyone know of any free/cheap hosting companies and perhaps some website templates? Perhaps an extension to this forum?

Bealman · October 31, 2021, 09:17:06 AM

Good luck with it Richard, but it's a lot of work, which you are obviously capable of handling.

Question here: Is it really required?

Train Waiting · October 31, 2021, 09:18:56 AM

Amazingly, our Fabulous Forum's resident Luddite is thinking of something similar! There is a real possibility Portable Poppingham will be exhibited in real life, rather than virtual format, next year. It is designed to allow visitors to drive a train* - much better fun than watching me attempting to drive it! Hopefully, this might get visitors interested in our wonderful hobby.

I was thinking about how to provide information about the layout and 'N' gauge to visitors. Clearly a 'three by two' layout cannot support lots of written material and then my friend Graham came up with a wizard wheeze. A website! And if we can arrange a QR code on the layout, visitors equipped with what I call 'smart telephones' will be able to access the website and bore themselves witless reading about my Table-Top Railway. Graham is looking into this at present and we have already started the website.

With regard to visitors' requests for particular trains, they will be encouraged to ask. I expect (and hope) most requests will be for 'the red engine' or the 'blue engine' (thankfully, Union Mills has a bit of a rainbow of colour options). Obviously, existing enthusiasts will be welcome to ask to see the 'Rebuilt Super Claud' or whatever, but I'm hoping to attract new blood to the hobby. Clearly, I'll have to think what to do if someone asks to run a diesel!

I hope to post a bit more about these plans on my layout thread in due course, but I was interested in Richard's idea and others' responses. I think the Junior Public nowadays expects interactive.

* Using a Gaugemaster hand-held controller connected to the layout's 'three wire control' system. I'm working on the assumption that people will be less at risk handling objects by then.

With all best wishes

John (aka Captain Analogue)

belstone · October 31, 2021, 09:37:45 AM

@Train Waiting I don't see why you couldn't drive a train via a smartphone, at least in theory. Go one better, have one of those tiny cameras on the front of the train so that the driver can see where he/she is going. I reckon if you could make that work you'd have a crowd six deep around Poppingham all day. Whether it is technically practical is another matter.

On a related note a lot of layouts have various working scenic features, lights, sounds, motorised things. I wonder if you could build scenic features that visitors could operate using their phones?

Richard

Chris Morris · October 31, 2021, 11:33:57 AM

I thought about doing something similar a few years back. I got as far as creating a youtube video that people could play and listen to while watching the trains on the layout. In the end I decided I waffled on too much and nobody would be interested. I still think it would be great if lots of layouts had a short description you could pick up on your smartphone and listen to while watching the layout. Maybe I should try making a much shorter description and be brave enough to put the QR code on the front of the layout?

This QR should work for the description I made but never used because it was too long winded.

I wonder what the optimum length of time is for a description? Maybe 1 or a maximum of 2 minutes?

Chris Morris · October 31, 2021, 11:36:35 AM

I have been inter-active in the past at exhibitions - I just gave youngsters the hand held controller and talked them through running the trains. Maybe not a good idea in these current covid times.

Chris Morris · October 31, 2021, 11:43:28 AM

Quote from: belstone on October 31, 2021, 09:37:45 AM
@Train Waiting I don't see why you couldn't drive a train via a smartphone, at least in theory. Go one better, have one of those tiny cameras on the front of the train so that the driver can see where he/she is going. I reckon if you could make that work you'd have a crowd six deep around Poppingham all day. Whether it is technically practical is another matter.

On a related note a lot of layouts have various working scenic features, lights, sounds, motorised things. I wonder if you could build scenic features that visitors could operate using their phones?

Richard

I can drive my trains through an ipad or iphone using the Hornby HM6000 controller. It works well but of course you have to have the app on your smartphone and have it linked to the receiver module by bluetooth. I could let folk operate the layout by passing them my ipad but in order to be safe in these times it would need to be sanitised in between each use. Maybe one for the future though. I could control the points and signals from the layout and tell the visiting operators to just follow the signals.

belstone · October 31, 2021, 05:24:31 PM

Quote from: Chris Morris on October 31, 2021, 11:33:57 AM
I thought about doing something similar a few years back. I got as far as creating a youtube video that people could play and listen to while watching the trains on the layout. In the end I decided I waffled on too much and nobody would be interested. I still think it would be great if lots of layouts had a short description you could pick up on your smartphone and listen to while watching the layout. Maybe I should try making a much shorter description and be brave enough to put the QR code on the front of the layout?

This QR should work for the description I made but never used because it was too long winded.

I wonder what the optimum length of time is for a description? Maybe 1 or a maximum of 2 minutes?

Doing a voiceover commentary hadn't occurred to me, I've seen that work well in museums with an audio headset that you rent, but thinking about it I'm not sure how well it will work with smartphones in an exhibition setting where there can be a lot of background noise. Six or seven people in front of your layout all listening to different commentaries on speaker is going to get messy. I'm inclined to just give them text and pictures.

From the feedback so far it sounds like this might be worth a go. I'll try it on Longframlington first, if I can get a couple of outings booked for it.

Richard