Locative media for tours and games
Since the successful Amsterdam RealTime project in 2002 that mapped the movements of citizens across the city, a team was formed within Waag Society to further research the use of all those new and exciting locative media technologies. In 2005, a pilot started with schools to use mobile phones in a city game called ‘Frequency 1550′, to let pupils of secondary schools actively learn about history instead of passively absorb knowledge.
The mobile technology advanced rapidly and soon phones had GPS built-in. A mobile platform for educational gaming was developed, that also proved to be useful for other purposes, like heritage, history or art routes. It sparked off many projects with museums, education and archives. In 2007 the decision was made to create a start-up to facilitate an independent platform called 7scenes.
The technology evolved further when the smartphone arrived that enabled sophisticated maps, better interfacing, and the use of datasets made available as open data. The MuseumApp was created for the museum world to connect their collections to specific locations and objects outside the museum. Partners can now create their own branded apps on the platform.