The Qatar National Library
01.-
The client
The Qatar National Library is a non-profit organization
QNL aims to serve a three-fold function: as a national library, a research-level university library, and a central metropolitan public library equipped for the digital age. In its capacity as a national library as defined by UNESCO, it collects and provides access to global knowledge, including heritage content and materials relevant to Qatar and the region.
02.-
The brief
An innovative audio tour system
Recursive designed and developed an innovative real time audio system to allow visitors to listen to the audio from the digital/interactive exhibits via headphones to avoid disturbing other users, all delivered via the existing Wi-Fi network within the building. The system also delivered audio from the many live presentations within the events spaces in multiple languages, requiring us to interface directly with the real time interpretation system. The system needed to be hands free, with no user intervention required, meaning the indoor tracking of the each and every users location to determine their exact location for switching the audio delivery. We also provided a roaming “guest speaker” feature for tours around the library using a roaming radio microphone with the audio delivered to the users in real time via the application.
03.-
The challenge
Recursive developed bespoke directional beacon devices
To track the position of people throughout the building, Recursive developed bespoke RF beacons and associated software to ensure usable directionality data especially for the project. Standard beacons are omnidirectional meaning that the RF signal is propagated in all directions equally. This approach does not work well when multiple beacons are required in close proximity, as was the case in the library, with multiple exhibits often less than 2m apart. To match the bespoke beacon design, Recursive also developed bespoke code to detect the proximity of the mobile device from each Beacon within the building. This is built on the iOS platform and is run from a custom cloud based Content Management System (CMS) which runs and manages all devices and beacon settings, allowing real time diagnostics and changes across the site. To transmit audio Recursive worked extensively with Williams Sound and their Hearing Hotspot product. In its existing form however, the server was not capable of providing the channel capacity required, so this was developed to expand the products capability to the 100+ channels needed.
04.-
The Outcome
This CMS is capable of supporting multiple buildings and sites
Recursive designed and specified a bespoke system for delivering the audio as well as tracking of the user, including a powerful cloud based CMS. The CMS allows real time administration over the services including the audio channels served, the creation of audio zones within the library, control of the beacons and their settings, the uploading of background audio tracks and the maintenance reporting for diagnostics purposes. This CMS is capable of supporting multiple buildings and sites to allow for future expansion. It also allows for new audio channels and beacons to be deployed to support ad hoc events as and when required and to activate or deactivate an audio zone at any time, something which can be automated via an API to allow control via third party control systems such as Crestron.