Creative Tech Week

On December 11, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum launched the Near Me feature in the Guggenheim app. Utilizing iBeacon technology to automatically present visitors with audio, video, and text related to the artworks and building features nearest to them, Guggenheim Near Me offers a site-specific experience for visitors as they move through the museum.



When a visitor opens Near Me, the screen displays information about nearby artworks and exhibitions. More than one hundred Bluetooth Low Energy iBeacons, transmitting signals at ranges that vary from five to fifty feet, have been installed in the Frank Lloyd Wright building to support this visitor experience. When a visitor using the Guggenheim app is within range of an iBeacon, content associated with it becomes visible in the app. The range of each iBeacon is calibrated to fit the Rotunda and Tower galleries, responding to unique architectural needs in different spaces.



The Guggenheim App team presents on the design and development of the Near Me feature, as well as observations since launch. Beacons will be present in the space for an on-site demonstration. The audience is encouraged to participate by downloading the free mobile app on either iOS or Android, available through this link: http://www.guggenheim.org/app.