  BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is a new wireless communication technology that,
thanks to reduced power consumption, promises to facilitate communication
between computing devices and help us harness their power in environments and
contexts previously untouched by information technology. Museums and other
facilities housing various cultural content are a particularly interesting area
of application. The University of Cambridge Museums consortium has put
considerable effort into researching the potential uses of emerging
technologies such as BLE to unlock new experiences enriching the way we engage
with cultural information. As a part of this research initiative, our ambition
has been to examine the challenges and opportunities introduced by the
introduction of a BLE-centred system into the museum context. We present an
assessment of the potential offered by this technology and of the design
approaches that might yield the best results when developing BLE-centred
experiences for museum environments. A pivotal part of our project consisted of
designing, developing and evaluating a prototype mobile location-based
BLE-centred game. A number of technical problems, such as unstable and
fluctuating signal strength, were encountered throughout the project lifecycle.
Instead of attempting to eliminate such problems, we argued in favour of
embracing them and turning them into a cornerstone of the gameplay. Our study
suggested that this alternative seamful design approach yields particularly
good results when deploying the technology in public environments. The project
outcome also demonstrated the potential of BLE-centred solutions to reach out
and engage new demographics, especially children, extending their interest in
museum visits.
