The Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book - Projects_Book_v4

raspberrypi.org/magpi The Official Raspberry Pi Projects Book 29

MUSEUM IN A BOX Projects

>BOX-01

The Planets

Box Prototype No. 13 – The Planets. Seven identical

wooden balls sit within a plain black box. When

‘booped’, each plays a track from the USAF Heritage

of America Band’s rendition of The Planets suite by

composer Gustav Holst.

>BOX-02

Frogs in a Box

With a somewhat ‘flatter’ approach, this box uses

postcards to play the various calls of the illustrated

amphibians, all recorded by “a mid-20th-century

herpetologist called Charles”. Frogs in a Box is part

of a larger pilot programme in conjunction with

Smithsonian Libraries.

>BOX-03

Ancient Egypt: Daily Lives

The 3D-printed items within the Ancient Egypt box

depict objects used in the daily lives of those living

over 2000 years ago. After it was shown to families

at the British Museum, the team upgraded the box to

include cards that offer visitor feedback when booped.

LETTING OBJECTS

SPEAK FOR

THEMSELVES

sea voyage from Easter Island, of
the history of his creators, and his
first encounter with the explorer
Captain Cook in 1774.

Bonding with history
This idea of forming stronger
connections with objects through
touch and sound is the heart of

the Museum in a Box objective.
Through 3D-printed models and
wooden sculptures, 2D images such
as postcards and photographs,
and ‘do it yourself’ feedback
cards, the team aim to break the
disappointing, yet often necessary,
Do Not Touch stigma of museums,
allowing everyone the chance to

get to grips with a history they may

otherwise miss out on.

On the technical side of the

project, the Museum in a Box

consists of a wooden box ‘brain’

that houses a Raspberry Pi and

RFID reader. There’s also a

volume control for playback and

lights to indicate when the unit

is powered and functional. Each

object, whether it be 3D or flat,

is kitted out with its own unique

RFID tag. When placed upon the

box, the tag is read by the reader

beneath the surface and informs

the Raspberry Pi to play back the

appropriate sound file via a built-

in speaker system.

magpi.cc/2iLlwqQ

The team aim to break the

disappointing, yet often

necessary, Do Not Touch stigma

magpi.cc/2iLrd88

magpi.cc/2iLmaES

Shrunken models of
famous ‘giants’ allow for
greater access to pieces
across the globe