The Museum of Science in Boston MA is one of my favorite places in the world! Whether I am investigating dinosaur fossils, learning about space travel, or learning about light and color at the Light House (my personal favorite), I always have a great time. I was understandably excited when the The Cahners Computer Place at the Museum of Science recently installed an indoor positioning system using LED lights. The museum has installed LED light bulbs from the company Bytelight. These light bulbs interact with a smartphone or tablet app that tracks a guest’s position around the museum and is able to give information or act as a tour guide.
These revolutionary light bulbs flash a pattern that is too quick for the human eye to see. But a smartphone or tablet is able to pick up the signal and see exactly where the person is located in the museum. The app uses the person’s location to understand what museum exhibit is being viewed, and is then able to inform the guest about the exhibit.  The app is extremely accurate, able to pinpoint a user’s location within one meter in under a second.
The LED positioning system benefits both the museum guests and the museum administration. Guests benefit from a more in-depth understanding of each exhibit. It is similar to having a personal tour guide at the museum that goes at your pace and follows your agenda. The museum administration is now able to collect accurate data from guests about which exhibits were viewed the most. Measuring guest’s interaction with specific exhibits will allow museums to see what people are interested in and analyze what is driving guests to the museum.
As usual, the capabilities of LED lamps never cease to amaze me. I, Dr. Bulb, am imagining a world where your smartphone is able to understand where you are just by decoding the surrounding light and can deliver relevant and helpful information. A world where you could be at a sporting event and the sports lighting would send in-depth stats and instant replays to your tablet. This is only the beginning of a new trend, keep reading my blog as I explore the ever-changing market of LED lighting.