In the era of rapid urbanization and technological advancements, the essence of traditional culture and urban history often fades into obscurity. The use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has become a potential solution to this problem. The core or meaning of IoT technology is "realize". In other words, "realize" aims to enhance cultural preservation, awareness and dissemination by embedding IoT technologies in the fabric of cities. This approach not only preserves our cultural heritage, but also promotes a deeper understanding and appreciation of the city's culture and history among its residents.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of computing devices, machines, and digital machines in relation to each other, with a universal unique identifier (UUID), and the ability to transmit data over a network without human or human-device interaction. By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies, physical things can share and collect data with minimal human intervention. In this hyperconnected world, digital systems can record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between connected things. The physical world meets the digital world—and they cooperate.
The Internet of Things digitizes the real world and has a wide range of applications. The Internet of Things can narrow dispersed data and integrate digital information between things. The application areas of the Internet of Things mainly include the following aspects: transportation and logistics, industrial manufacturing, health care, intelligent environment (home, office, factory), personal and social fields.
These are of great significance in the field of cultural preservation and dissemination.
IoT technology can enhance digitization and accessibility, digitizing historical and cultural resources and making them easier to access and preserve. This includes creating digital archives and virtual museums so that more people can learn about and enjoy these resources online.
IoT devices can provide intelligent tour services and interactive experiences to enhance visitors' experience in museums and historical sites. This can be achieved through smart navigation devices, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.
IoT technology can be used to manage and optimize cultural activities and festivals, improve the organizational efficiency and security of activities. This includes monitoring the movement of people and environmental conditions to ensure that the event runs smoothly.
Through sensors and monitoring devices, IoT technology can monitor the status of historic buildings and cultural sites in real time, timely warning and preventing potential damage, and ensure that these resources are effectively protected.
IoT technology can be used to develop applications and platforms for cultural communication and education, so that more people can learn about the history and culture of the city. Intelligent educational devices and interactive platforms can enhance the effect and interest of cultural education.
With the support of the Internet of Things technology, the field of cultural preservation and dissemination will undergo a major transformation —— from manual recording and physical preservation to the combination of digital tools. Traditional approaches, while effective, often face scalability and accessibility limitations. The advent of digital archives, 3D scanning, and virtual reality marked the first step in modernizing cultural preservation.
In fact, the Internet of Things in the field of cultural protection has been tried and used for some time.
From the early 2000s, when it was a preliminary exploration phase, the concept of the Internet of Things was gradually proposed with the development of the Internet and sensor technology. Early iot applications are concentrated in industrial and home automation. In the cultural sector, initial applications include the use of RFID tags and sensors in museums for heritage management and environmental monitoring.
By the mid-2010s, the application of the Internet of Things entered the extended application stage, with the progress of wireless communication technology, cloud computing and big data analysis, the Internet of Things technology gradually matured, and the application scope also expanded. In this phase, cultural institutions began to adopt iot technology on a large scale for the preservation and display of cultural relics.
Finally, in the 2020s, that is, the in-depth integration stage, the application of Internet of Things technology in cultural protection and dissemination is increasingly integrated and intelligent, including intelligent navigation systems, interactive display platforms, digital archives and virtual museums. International cooperation and exchanges have also been strengthened, promoting the wide application and standardization of iot technology in the cultural field.
There are countless examples of the application of the Internet of Things to cultural protection and dissemination. In order to enable readers to have a clear understanding and cognition of how the Internet of Things can help cultural protection and dissemination, several cases with exemplary value will be listed and analyzed in this article.
Case 1: The Intelligent Surveillance System of the Louvre Museum
The Louvre Museum is one of the most famous museums in the world, with a wealth of art and historical artifacts. In order to protect these precious cultural relics, the Louvre Museum has adopted Internet of Things technology for environmental monitoring.
Sensor network: Hundreds of environmental sensors are installed throughout the museum's galleries and storage rooms, monitoring key parameters such as temperature, humidity, light and air quality in real time.
Data analysis: Sensor data is collected and analyzed through the iot platform to detect changes in environmental conditions and give timely warnings.
Automatic control system: Combined with sensor data, the museum's air conditioning, humidifier and lighting systems are automatically adjusted to ensure that the cultural relics are in the best preservation environment.
As a result, the intelligent monitoring system significantly improves the protection effect of cultural relics and reduces the risk of cultural relics damage caused by environmental changes. The automated environmental control system reduces the workload of manual monitoring and regulation, and improves management efficiency. And through data analysis, museums can obtain more in-depth environmental change rules and provide scientific basis for cultural relics protection.
Case 2: Digital Project at the National Library of Scotland
With a wealth of historical documents and books, the National Library of Scotland faces the dual challenge of preservation and dissemination.
Document digitization: The use of Internet of Things technology to digitally scan and archive precious historical documents to create a digital archive.
Online access platform: Develop an online access platform that allows the public to access and read digital literature through the Internet.
Intelligent management system: RFID tags and sensors are installed in the library to monitor the storage and circulation of documents in real time.
Digitization projects significantly reduce the risk of damage to physical documents while ensuring the long-term preservation of their contents. Online platforms have expanded the reach of literature and made history and culture accessible to more people. And the intelligent management system improves the management efficiency of the library and reduces the loss and damage of documents.
Case 3: The Intelligent Navigation System of the National Palace Museum in Taipei
The Taipei Palace Museum is one of the largest museums in Asia and houses a large collection of ancient Chinese art and artifacts. To enhance the visiting experience, the museum has introduced an intelligent tour guide system.
Intelligent tour guide equipment: Visitors can rent intelligent tour guide equipment and learn about the exhibits through voice narration and multimedia display.
Mobile application: The development of mobile application, visitors can use their smart phones to get exhibits information and tour routes.
Interactive experience: Using AR technology, visitors can see virtual restored images and interactive content of the exhibits through the device.
The intelligent tour guide system provides rich multimedia information and interactive experience, enhancing the learning effect and interest of visitors. Mobile apps and smart devices provide personalized guided Tours, recommending exhibits and routes according to visitors' interests and needs. By analyzing the behavioral data of visitors, the museum can optimize exhibition design and tour services, and improve the overall management level.
The application of Internet of Things technology in cultural protection and dissemination has shown remarkable results, but its potential is far from being fully realized. In the future, with the continuous progress and innovation of technology, there is still a lot of room for exploration in the directions of intelligence and automation, cross-field collaboration, public participation and education. We have every reason to believe that the protection and dissemination of cultural heritage in the future will become more intelligent, efficient and universal, so that more people can share and pass on the precious cultural heritage.