Page 258 - AC/E's Digital Culture Annual Report 2015

AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report 2015258guidebook in sign language through an auto- matic translation platform with a virtual avatar projected onto the surface of the famous glasses.of America (2013), the first in a series of ten, can be seen in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, belonging to the Smithsonian Institution.The installation consists of a large US flag covered in hundreds of conventional glasses lenses. When the viewer stands in front of the work wearing Google Glass,110 the installation delivers further images and interactive videos related to prominent people in American histo- ry, such as George Washington, John F. Kenne- dy, Martin Luther King, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga, among others, and salient cultural events in the early and contemporary history of the United States. The result is the combination of fragments of collective experience exhibited in different layers and defining much of American culture in a large multimedia universe.When they use the Google Glass touchscreen, visitors can access information on the statue translated into sign language. Using a voice command, it is also possible to stop or startthe translation, take photos, record a video and share it on the social media. It is an application for wearable technology that makes deaf people proactive visitors.As an example of “low cost” wearables, theGoogle Lab Project of Google Cultural Institute has brought out some cardboard glasses called Cardboards109 that enable users to enjoy augmented reality. By downloading the Cardboard application we can find out about other compatible applications that allow us to use our glasses, which only cost a few euros. This initiative is very good news for museums, as it means that with a relatively low budget theywill be able to offer users an experience that is enhanced with augmented reality.There is an artist who already bears in mind museum visitors’ experience when creating his works. This is David Datuna, whose PortraitPortrait of America (2013)As we can see, practically everything that has been developed in connection with wearable technology in museums has been focused on the possibilities of Google Glass. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to look out for new devicesFocus 2015. Museums and New Technologies