Beaulieu Abbey Kiosk Interpretation – Development
Interviews with the Launch Guests, Beaulieu Team and External Professionals provided positive and constructive feedback regarding the importance of choice for different visitor types. Choice in whether, as a visitor, you were a child, adult or professional/academic, exploring the content made sense from the comments provided, as did the ability to see the abbey and abbey buildings in the different periods of time, as they would have been used. The cultural lifestyle of the Cistercian monks, the Royal visits, building the abbey and the dissolution are related via nine characters, each with their particular story. These were considered positive and engaging attributes by all of the launch attendees.
The positive responses support and validate completing the kiosk interpretation to include:
- the two remaining levels: adult and professional/academic
- updated from Flash Player (PC only) to be multi-platform including mobile
- test usability of the KubeMatrix for mobile devices and touch screens
- research the addition of voice activation for people with disabilities
- research the addition of augmented reality in certain areas of the application
A group of second year students Lewis Raggett (Development), Buster Collins (CAD), Ice Wattangura and James Byrne (Design) chose to work on the development of the Adobe Flash based kiosk interpretation to update from the use of Adobe Flash to more modern technology.
Lewis Raggett’s interpretation and ongoing development of the KubeMatrix for navigating the Beaulieu Abbey content can be viewed on this link: https://www.redsquirrelstudio.co.uk/#/project/16. Buster’s CAD and 3D models for adding to the Beaulieu Abbey site can be viewed on this link: http://bustercollins.winchesterdigital.co.uk/#project. Ice’s redesign of the logo can be viewed on this link: http://icewattangkura.winchesterdigital.co.uk/portfolio3.html , James’ design of the new logo can be found on this link: http://jamesbyrne.winchesterdigital.co.uk/y2beaulieudesign.html
I have re-configured the 2008-9 Beaulieu Abbey model in 3DS Max to take into Unreal Game Engine to be able to build the Beaulieu site and environment in the medieval period. Through the use of earlier research regarding the land mass, I have also been able to recreate the landscape in Unreal for the Abbey and village to be as authentic as possible in shape and form. This is currently ongoing work with the aim of being able to walk virtually around Beaulieu and the Abbey as one of the characters.
From this, and the final development of the updated technology for the KubeMatrix and responsive website (therefore accessible on mobile platforms), my intention is to add the two remaining levels of content in answer to point 1 in the above list.
A final addition will be to research voice activation to fulfil point 4 of the recommentdations listed above.