Tour-Mate's new Eco-Box audioguides, a series of stationary audio posts designed for the outdoors are an innovative, rugged solution for outdoor attractions requiring audioguides.
The Eco-Box is designed to provide audio segments to visitors without requiring batteries or an external source of power. It operates like a battery-free crank radio, with users turning a handle on the front of the box and pushing a button to listen to audio.
The weather-resistant, energy efficient boxes can withstand extreme heat and cold conditions, and have been used in environments from Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada to Red Rock Canyon in Nevada, US.
Another version of the box has been introduced, allowing visitors without full appendage use to access audio by sliding a forearm under a dual wheel handle. And new from Tour-Mate is its EB200 model, which stores energy as the user turns the wheel, allowing users to stop and listen for 90 seconds after 30 seconds of cranking. (Energy will be stored on a bank of capacitors to keep the box carbon neutral.)
Tour-Mate CEO Neil Poch says he believes venues are increasingly looking for diverse platforms, from hand-held devices to products like Eco-Box, to deliver interpretation to a broad range of demographics. "The same client that uses Eco-Boxes for outdoor interpretation may also use our SC550 Wand system, or an RF-based group guide system inside their buildings," he said.
With the increasingly diverse set of technologies in the multimedia guide and audioguide realms, venues looking for more platforms to engage with visitors definitely have plenty of choice.
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