Shoofti – the project of the universal location-based information system
The universal software system Shoofti transforms places into interactive, informative spaces for visitors. Whether the place is a museum, garden, campus, downtown, or resort, Shoofti can help to create customized information and tools for visitors.
The idea that became Shoofti was conceived in 2008, and many prototypes were developed as student projects at Nazarbayev University. The current version of the system is being developed at NU in the Commercialization Grant Project entitled, “A general location-aware information system”, which began in February 2019. The principal investigator of the project is Mona Ali Rizvi, Associate Professor of Computer Science, SEDS.
Shoofti consists of a content management system and mobile apps. The content management system allows place administrators to develop multimedia content in a generic hierarchical structure, in order to provide information and tools customized to multiple types of visitors and users.
The apps for Android, iOS and the web provide interaction methods that currently include NFC and QR codes, and are easily extensible to include Bluetooth beacons, image recognition and augmented reality. They also provide visitors with various informational, navigational and social features.
The advantages of Shoofti:
- Multimedia Information – Visitors and users of a place can access multimedia content: audio, images, video, even augmented reality.
- Customized Content – Support multiple languages and different experiences for different types of visitors.
- Navigation – Shoofti provides the users with indoor and outdoor navigational aids.
- News and events – The business can provide users with the latest news and a calendar of events for the place.
For now, the users of the application can visit Nazarbayev University and Kulanshy Center for Contemporary Art.
