A multitouch, multiuser mashup allows visitors to explore Flickr photos geotagged into a Yahoo! Map. Users can pan and zoom the map and resize images through use of intuitive gestures. Information about each photograph can be viewed. Descriptions are drawn directly from Flickr. Images are “tethered” to points on the map, so if an image is moved, its point of origin is still apparent.
This dynamic exhibit is now at three museums, the Ontario Science Centre, Don Harrington Discovery Center and the Vulcan Park and Museum. Since the images for each mashup are brought in from Flickr groups, the program can be managed in a variety of ways. At Ontario Science Centre, museum visitors are encouraged to participate, taking photographs around Toronto and posting them to the Flickr group for inclusion in the exhibit.
The exhibit was designed to run on Ideum’s multitouch table. The table is built with industrial-quality materials, perfect for busy public environments. In addition, the table is only 31″ tall, meeting ADA standards for wheel chair accessibility.
The multitouch software was developed using Adobe Flash. Content management is handled via Flickr. You can learn more Ideum’s MT-50 multitouch table on our Website.
