Taka
Case Study
Being a small non-profit, the MuDA often needs to find creative ways to operate. In this case study we explain how we used a $2 mirror to create a reliable membership identification system, which we named Taka
Museums actually experience a lot of fluctuation. During weekends and events, there is a large influx of visitors who tend to overwhelm our little staff. By identifying members quickly we could reduce queuing significantly. This is how we did it.
1. 3D-print Firstly, we designed a holder for a 6x6 cm mirror and 3D-printed it. We designed the shape to work with any conventional 3D-printer. Then we slid the mirror inside the holder. We used a simple make-up mirror for this. If you cannot find a mirror of this size, you can adapt the holder's geometry in a 3D application. Do not go smaller than 6x6 cm, however, as the view would be cropped.
Dowload 3D File
2. Snap it on Attach the holder onto the computer. Our holder is specifically designed for Microsoft's Surface. It might also work with other computers, but keep in mind that it needs a back camera in order to work (one of the many great features of the Surface).
3. Create a physical token Now the fun part. Design a physical item that serves as a unique identifier. We went with punch cards since they suit our style as the Museum of Digital Art, are easy to make, and fit in every wallet.
5. Connect to database Once that is done, connect the system to your database so it knows when there is a match. In our case, we use Microsoft's cloud computing platform Azure to keep our member's data secure. As a non-profit you can apply for an annual grant of $5000. It did not take us more than twenty minutes to go through the application process.
Non-profit Application
4. Code Write some funky code to identify the thing that the camera needs to look out for. We had the luck to call magnificent Greenliff our partner, who did this in a breeze! But if you are not that fortunate, no need to worry, there are great libraries like tracking.js, which can help out a lot. And that's it! Hope you let us know how you use this little tutorial to make your very own system. It did make our life significantly smoother.Major shout-out to our lovely partners Microsoft and Greenliff for the help, we can't thank you enough!
PSTaka won a bronze award in the Highest Digital Quality UX category at the Digital Economy Award 2018.
Credits Software Lead: Caroline HirtHardware Lead: Christian EtterDevelopment: GreenliffDevice: Microsoft Surface Pro3D Design: Lisa Heierli
