Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505080095
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FORT CHISWELL LENGTH: Medium
The new system is located at the Gateway Highlands Visitors Center in the Factory Merchants Mall off Interstate 81-77 in eastern Wythe County. The center is operated by Jefferson National Forest and contains photographic exhibits showcasing the attractions and scenery of the region, along with walls of brochures.
The Forest Service and Virginia's Southwest Blue Ridge Highlands Inc., an organization of tourism-related businesses which is a partner in the center, contracted with Virginia Tech to develop a sophisticated but easy-to-use computer system.
Its touch-screen provides detailed information including directions on regional points of interest, enhanced by music and color video footage and photographs.
When not being used, the computer screen displays slides featuring some of the natural, cultural and historic sites in the 19 counties and four cities served by the center.
A touch to the screen activates an interactive program allowing visitors to search the database by geographical location, an index of all attractions contained in the data, or topic of interest. Those topics so far include history, arts and culture, nature, shops and markets, recreation, restaurants, lodging, and an events calendar.
Once a topic is selected, the user gets a digitized video of sights and sounds depicting the region's attractions. Visitor center personnel can type in new information on additional attraction sites, making the program virtually unlimited. The program creates new touch buttons on menus as required, based on new information.
Pictures, movies and sounds can be added to the multimedia database as well as directions, descriptions, addresses and other text.
A user needs no computer knowledge to use the system. Visitors merely touch the menu selections in which they are interested.
The system will also print out fees, directions, telephone numbers and other data on the sites selected.
Although visitors must now come to the mall to use the system, it has been designed to allow expansion for networking with other sites.
Joining Boucher in the dedication ceremony were Virginia's Southwest President Lori Ward, who is marketing director at Barter Theatre; Meriwether German, community services manager with the Virginia Division of Tourism; Peggy Meszaros, provost at Virginia Tech; Tom Lennon, program leader with the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C.; and Bob Joslin, regional forester with the Forest Service.
by CNB