Audio Eyes

The Info-Age Audio Eyes app has been designed with and for blind and partially sighted visitors.
It unlocks audio descriptions of the Information Age gallery at the Science Museum in London, and describes the environment, key objects and tactile displays.

The app helps independent discovery – it does not give a step-by-step route, but responds to your movements in the gallery. It includes over 60 descriptions.

In Information Age you can explore how information and communication technologies have transformed our lives since the 1830s. At around 75 metres long and 30 metres wide, it is one of the biggest galleries in the Science Museum. It houses over 800 objects – some unique or beautiful, others more everyday: a curious piece of hardware, a cable, a telephone...

Info-Age Audio Eyes is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

How to use the app
This app only works in the Information Age gallery at the Science Museum. It picks up Bluetooth signals around the gallery, which automatically trigger audio notifications on your iPhone.

Tips for the best experience
Turn Bluetooth on in your Settings.
Remove any metal covers from your phone, as they can affect the signal.
Hold your phone in front of you at waist height.
Move through the gallery at a steady pace to give the device enough time to pick up the signals.
As there is audio content, the experience is better with Voiceover turned off.

This is an innovative project using new Bluetooth beacon technology. We hope to apply what we learn from it in the future and we welcome your feedback. Please get in touch with us at smapps@sciencemuseum.org.uk.