Experiments with the internet of things in museum space: QRator

Emergent Internet of Things (IoT) based technologies offer the potential for new ways in engaging with places, spaces and objects. The use of mobile and tablet computing linked specifically to objects and memory, comment and narrative creation opens up a potentially game-changing methodology in user interaction above and beyond the traditional 'kiosk' type approach. In this position statement we detail the QRator project in the Grant Museum at University College London. The QRator project explores how handheld mobile devices and Internet enabled interactive digital labels can create new models for public engagement, personal meaning-making and the construction of narrative opportunities inside museum spaces. The project won the United Kingdom National Museum and Heritage Award for Innovation for exploring the cultural shift that is anticipated as society moves to a ubiquitous form of computing in which every device is 'on', and every device is connected in some way to the Internet.