Digital transformation is the application of technology in exhibitions, visitor interaction, curation, and administration. It will ensure museums are embraced within the digital transformation of culture. By adopting digital transformations museums can achieve the following:
Fun and engaging exhibits make the learning process more interesting. Many visitors love to explore museums. It can be difficult to preserve the real quality of the museum to keep attracting people of all ages.
Virtual tours and digitized archives enable audiences around the world to engage with collections. When visitors will have access to every detail it will make them feel good.
Protecting cultural heritage by preserving artifacts digitally through 3D scanning and AI-driven restoration. It can be an art to preserve all the memorable artifacts. However, digital transformation can help us lead to it.
Digital ticketing, artificial intelligence-based analytics, and automation make management better.
Today, many state-of-the-art technologies are transforming museums into more interactive, accessible, and efficient spaces.
(AR and VR — a game-changer for museum experience. These technologies allow visitors to engage with exhibits like never before.
AR-rich displays: Museums can add digital information to real-life artifacts. For example, visitors can use their smartphones to view a restored version of an ancient sculpture.
VR tours: Providing a deeply immersive experience, virtual reality headsets can transport visitors to historical events or far-flung places.
AI at work AI is helping museums tailor visits and fine-tune operations. Here are some of the main use cases with the applications:
AI-based chatbots and virtual guides: The AI-powered chatbots are designed to respond to the questions of visitors in several languages, thus creating an engaging and informative experience.
Weeding out curatorial elements of artificial intelligence: AI can analyze data to propose an exhibition or trends in visitors and help optimize arrangements.
In the example of 3D scanning, museums can make digital replicas of artifacts for educational purposes or even 3D print them for a tactile experience. Such technology is invaluable when it comes to dealing with fragile or degradable artifacts.
Blockchain technology is being adopted in the art and museum world to help verify the provenance of artifacts and prove that they are what they claim to be. Digital ledgers create tamper-proof records of an item’s history — transparent and immutable, powered by a network of computers — making them valuable in the fight against forgery and theft.
Utilizing big data can provide museums with knowledge of visitor patterns, inclinations, and trends; This data drives status quo enhancements of exhibits, precision of marketing strategies, rise in visitor experience, etc.
IoT is also a tool for museums to link physical objects with their digital counterparts. Smart sensors can:
Control environmental conditions to guard fragile objects.
Monitor crowd flow by giving visitor data in real-time.
Provide location-sensitive content, such as exhibit information sent to a visitor’s phone as they near a display.
Museums will be more digital or hybrid institutions in the future. Some emerging trends include:
Most museums are now providing full digital access to their visitors, and their exhibitions can be seen from anywhere in the world. An example is Google Arts & Culture, which partners with museums to digitize their collections and make them available online.
The emergence of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has created new avenues for both digital art and collections in museums. Museums can offer both digital versions of artifacts and unique virtual experiences for sale.
Holograms can bring the past alive, be it a historical figure or a lost artifact. Some museums have exploited this technology to give visitors “interactions” with historical figures like Albert Einstein or Vincent van Gogh.
Although the benefits of digital transformation are clear, there are challenges to be overcome:
High priced: Implementation of the latest technologies comes at an eye-watering expense.
Digital divide: Not all visitors have access to digital tools or know how to use them effectively.
Maintaining authenticity: Critics argue that technology-based experiences might compromise the authenticity of physical artifacts.
Cybersecurity risks: Cyber threats are becoming more common in museums, as they get more digital.
A work-in-progress journey for museums in the age of digital transformation Here’s what we can look forward to in the coming years:
Personalized experiences through AI: AI will tailor museum visits to specific interests with personalized tour recommendations and content.
More gamification: Museums will increasingly add gamified experiences, to pull in younger people.
Hybrid physical-digital spaces: Museums will use a combination of physical exhibits with digital overlays to make visits more interactive.
Sustainability through digitalization: Digital catalogs and smart energy-efficient systems will enable museums to operate more sustainably.
But the future of museums lies in the digital realm, and museums that invest in technology will be the numbers not only of the years to come. From VR bridging the gap between the audience and the content, an AI-powered tour guide, and blockchain for artifact verification to a myriad of other technologies, the digital transformation is making museums increasingly engaging, accessible, and efficient.
Are you a museum professional seeking to digitize your institution? The time to take action is now! Work alongside technologists, examine cutting-edge digital solutions, and develop exciting experiences for visitors everywhere. The future of Museums is now — get on board with it today!
