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Content archived on 2024-05-24

Mobile Tourism Guide

Objective

The m-ToGuide project is targeted for the European tourism market and will offer tourists a broad array of information and services. A portable, handheld terminal is used to exchange information between the m-ToGuide system and the tourist. GSM/GPRS cellular telephone networks and the Internet provide the transmission backbone of the system. All information and services delivered to the tourist will be relevant to his/her specific location (location-based) and tailored to that end-user's personal profile. Three European cities will host the system's field trials Ultimately, the m-ToGuide project is striving to achieve the commercial implementation of an end-to-end, state-of-the-art, mobile tourist service.

Tourists require accurate, current and relevant information about a multitude of topics, e.g. sites, accommodations, restaurants, performances, schedules, routes, guide support, history. Such need clearly indicates the great potential for use by tourists of travel and touring information and related services. The innovation of the m-ToGuide service is that it is a current, comprehensive and mobile electronic tourist information guide. The tourist has available to him/her the most relevant and current data. Use of m-ToGuide enables its user to gain immediate access to information or services that he/she is seeking, e.g. attractions, shopping, places of interest, directions. For instance, the m-ToGuide can show the tourist his/her location, using the most suitable format of map or photograph. It might then direct him/her to the next point and identify the best method of available transportation. Further, m-ToGuide would propose a list of worthwhile attractions or entertainment options which are near-by and relevant in time. Should the tourist accept, m-ToGuide would propose purchasing him/her tickets or placing a reservation. The m-ToGuide system incorporates intelligent decision processing.

OBJECTIVES
The aim is to promote the development and deployment of innovative 2.5G and, eventually, 3G wireless applications & services for mobile tourists at a pan-European level, thus promoting the use of 2.5G/3G cellular networks. It requires combining the needs of the tourism market with the existing commercial 2.5G GPRS networks, expanding the use of broadband wireless data. This will naturally promote the need for 3G UMTS, once commercially available. While designing the m-ToGuide system, specific attention will be paid to forward compatibility with UMTS.

Technology objectives of m-ToGuide are: end-to-end value-added services implementation on 2.5G GSM/GPRS while accounting for future, 3G UMTS compatibility; support mobile roaming for wireless data providing tourists with a seamless data service; service customization for the tourist, based on defined personal profiles; mobile commerce, multilingual environment, privacy and security; trial the system in diverse tourist environments.

As system application, m-ToGuide must integrate a mobile, location-based tourist info service that supplies personalized content from multiple providers. Info personalization is provided by "intelligent" decision processing and content can be audio, video and text. The m-ToGuide application objectives are: maintain up-to-date information; location-based services related to the tourist's status in place and time; high quality multimedia format; tour planning; audio-visual tour guiding; routing and orientation capabilities; reservation & ticketing services; promotions, special offers and discounts.
The final intention is an economically sustainable model of commercial value. The opportunities the system creates for effective information delivery, its utility and ease of use must appeal to two groups: the tourists and the tourism industry, the system's primary customer. The business objective then is to verify the validity of the service model and generate market demand for such a system.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK
The m-ToGuide work plan divides the project into 10 work components (Work Packages); these components distinguish between business related processes and technical related processes. 6 components are business processes and 4 components are technical processes. The components reflect a logical, step-by-step process flow. Initially, a thorough analysis is performed in order to define the system requirements and the business model (WP2, 3). This effort feeds into the system design process (WP4) which then results in the development of each of the major entities (WP5, 6). Upon completion of the previous two work components, a full system build-up and integration in the lab occurs (WP7). Following this lab integration is the system's field trial (WP8). The measurement and evaluation component (WP9) will be used to monitor the field trial, analyze its results and evaluate the system. Project management (WP1) provides overall, project process control, synchronization and monitoring. Knowledge transfer of the project's products and experiences is accomplished by the exploitation and dissemination component (WP10).
Security -User identification -Quality of service The mobile personal guide has an artificial intelligence, which recognizes the individual’s personal needs. By offering an efficient easy to use hand –held terminal, with all the information necessary for travellers, the project dramatically improves the benefits the tourist can make out of the trip. The intelligence of the service is embodied in the profiling tool and the wizard. The profiling tool takes into account the preferences expressed by the user, and will continuously learn from the user’s choices as he uses the system. As the user will use the system, the profiling tool will have more opportunities to learn about him.

The wizard on the other hand is a decision making tool that, using the content mediator, searches the external content and services databases for location and time sensitive data, and chooses and prioritise the best options for the user, based on his profile. As a result the tourist will get a well-planned tour that is most suited for him. On repeating tours to the same vicinity, the profile also keeps the information about attractions that he has already seen, and avoids going back there. Assuring authentication of data flow, the system will protect sensitive data and assure privacy (for example, billing information, user location and user personal information). Authentication and privacy have reached important results, taking also into consideration IPSec and Ipv4 to Ipv6 migration. This provision of relevant information is based on location detection on GPRS/GSM networks and a profiled filtering information system?The trial of m-ToGuide is based on a unique mobile tourist application. The project implement a seamless end-to-end value added tourism service encompassing:-Location based service -Roaming -Billing -m-commerce -

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

MOTOROLA ISRAEL LTD.
EU contribution
No data
Address
KREMENETSKI STREET 3
67899 TEL AVIV
Israel

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Total cost
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Participants (15)