Fabrica Ludens: technology meets culture

Best Practice Session
Marco Volani, Italia , Marco De Nicola, Italy, Mario Zen, Italy, Mariano Volani, Italy

Fabrica Ludens is a spin off company formed by the “Bruno Kessler Foundation” Research Institute (www.fbk.eu) together with some private investors with the aim to bring technological innovation to Museums and Exhibitions, Historical places, Art Cities, Archeological Sites and Theme Parks.

Fabrica Ludens has developed and realized smartguide: a new generation of hand-held portable devices specifically designed to take advantage of the latest state-of-the-art technologies.

Equipped with all accessories and the refined smartguide-charger rack that provides easy charging, content management and data download for analysis, smartguide is available in two versions:
– smartguide 3.5 (3.5” touch display)
– smartguide 7 (7” touch display)
in order to accomplish the different needs of each exhibition path.

smartguide combines hardware and software solutions specifically conceived to provide an easy, active and engaging experience for Visitors as well as a strong marketing tool to enhance the cultural offer and increase museum revenues.

Main features are:

• smartguide-touch – adaptive user interface
  Navigation and contents are tailored to individual needs such as language, adults, elderly, children, visually impaired, etc., by providing thematic itineraries based on their interests, knowledge or time constrains.
• smartguide-track – an innovative indoor mapping wireless system that guides Visitors through the exhibition path by giving them instant information about the rooms they are visiting and the artwork they’re observing;
• audio/video synchronization allows multiple Visitors to listen, each in his own language, to video contents shown on monitors, multi-touch tables and displays in general;
• products and offers from the bookshop, the restaurant and others museum facilities, including future events, are suggested to Visitors in order to keep them engaged;
• in-depth analysis about Visitors’ behavior help cultural institutions to enhance the path and improve the offer.

Fabrica Ludens’s offer is completed with a range of additional services such as planning of the experience, user interface custom design, translations, voice-over, installation and maintenance.

smartguide is a custom-tailored ecosystem of products, functions and services supplied on a turn-key solution with a new business model.