Mobile tagging of Fort museum’s artifacts on cards

This process called the QR (quick response) code would be developed for over thousands of objects as part of an effort to take museums closer to people. According to Ms K. Mootheeswari, deputy superintending archaeologist, Fort museum, the process of QRC would be taken up soon to provide indepth information to the visitors. This is a novel initiative being taken by the ASI, Chennai Circle, team under Ms Moortheeswari maintaining the museum.

A QRC is a type of 2D bar code that is used to provide easy access to information through smartphones and in this process, known as mobile tagging, the smartphone’s owner points the phone at a QR Code and opens a barcode reader app which works in conjunction with the phone’s camera. The reader interprets the code, which typically contains a call to action such as an invitation to download a mobile application, a link to view a video or an SMS message inviting the viewer to respond to a poll. The phone’s owner can choose to act upon the call to action or click cancel and ignore the invitation.

“It is a Herculean task, which we want to accomplish. We hope to take samples to Delhi soon to get permission from our higher ups to commence the work,” she told this correspondent.

Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, K. Manivasan, commissioner of Welfare of Differently Abled launched the souvenir of Independence Day commemorative postage stamp key chains and an information leaflet on the first national flag hoisted in Fort St. George, to the students of the CSI Higher Secondary School for the deaf, during the Independence Day celebrations at the museum.

Dr. M. Sakthivel, director, University Students Advisory Bureau, received the first copy. K. Lourdusamy, Superintending Archaeologist, spoke.