Lumen: A Flashlight for Mixed Reality Museum Experiences Wins Playable Museum Award

Arvind Sanjeev, an interaction designer and engineer born in Kerala, India in 1991, won the first edition of the Playable Museum Award with his project Lumen. Mixed Reality Storytelling. The award was announced in early 2018 by the Museo Marino Marini in Florence, under the direction of Patrizia Asproni and coordinated by engagement scientist and game designer Fabio Viola. The call closed on March 31 with 240 participants, aiming to transform museums into places of action and interaction. Lumen uses a flashlight-shaped device that employs machine learning to classify objects and generate stories overlaid on them. The device recognizes elements in the environment and provides narratives designed by storytellers and game designers. For example, it can project a face onto a sculpture to convey the artist's intent. The international jury included Giorgia Abeltino, Yuval Avital, Antonio Lampis, Jeffrey Schnapp, Fabio Siddu, and Massimiliano Zane. The winner received a grant of €10,000 and mentorship from the jury and Fabio Viola. The official ceremony will take place at the museum's reopening in October 2018, with a day dedicated to the award. The first functional prototype of Lumen is expected by January 2019, when the second edition of the award will be launched.