An interactive research project brought to you by the CIS Sandbox,
Bentley's Technology Social Learning Space.
If you've never heard of "beacons" or the physical web, have no fear, we are here to tell you all about them both! Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are small devices which require very little power to operate and broadcast a signal over Bluetooth. These beacons are so small and energy efficient, they can be used on or in pretty much any everyday object! They create the PHYSICAL WEB, a system that allows us (the users) to interact with parking meters, statues, our pets, the grocery store... I think you get the point.
About our Research
Campus Beacons
We placed BLE beacons all around campus! These beacons are designed to tell you more about campus all through the use of your smartphone. When you approach particular artifacts and locations around Bentley, you will receive links to webpages with more live information about where you are and what's happening!
Technology Skills Demonstrated
The Physical Web Research project is the product of several students majoring or minoring in Computer Information Systems at Bentley. They applied their collective technology skills in networking, web development, web analytics, mobile devices, and multimedia to research and create a use-case for the Physical Web on campus.
Some practical uses for beacons and the physical web!
- 1. Parking Meters: A parking meter equipped with a beacon would allow the "parker" to simply approach the meter to pay. Once in range, the beacon would send a webpage hosting an online payment application to the parker's phone.
2. Public Transportation: A beacon could forward bus/train/boat schedules to potential customers approaching a station. No longer would you need to search online for transportation schedules, once in range the beacon would alert you of all relevant information.
Great for Advertising
Beacons are a powerful tool across the retail and marketing spaces. When implementing beacons in AND AROUND a brick-and-mortar store, retailers can provide users in the area with live sales and special offers. These messages and webpages are sent directly to customers' phones.
Inexpensive & Effective
BLE Beacons do not require very much maintenance at all. Using low energy Bluetooth signals, the devices can go 5-10 years without recharging. Beacons also provide a scalable solution with a developer's kit including 3 beacons and relevant instructions for available for about $50.
Real-time Updates
Once beacons are deployed (like the ones we have deployed across Bentley's campus), the information they broadcast still can be updated and maintained either by updating the webpages they are configured to relay to users or through a cloud management interface.
How you can participate in this research project
- 1. Use your phone to discover beacons around campus! See "Instructions PDF" for details.
- 2. Take screenshots of the different locations you find. Collect 5 Screenshots!
- 3. When you have 5 screenshots, visit the CIS Sandbox in Smith 234 for a T-Shirt!
Looking for more?
The CIS Sandbox
The Computer Information Systems (CIS) Sandbox is Bentley University's Technology Social Learning Space. CIS Sandbox tutors are are both CIS Underaduate and Graduate students passionate about technology. We provide tutoring services for Bentley's growing CIS curriculum and experiment with new technologies whenever we can! The BentleyOH 2017 Beacon Project is an example of one of our exciting cross-disciplinary projects. For more information and to see live analytics of the Beacon Project, stop by the Sandbox at Room 234 in Smith.
