Home  News Press Releases Innovative Hand Held Video Tour Launched at Cedar Breaks National Monument
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Innovative Hand Held Video Tour Launched at Cedar Breaks National Monument |
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INNOVATIVE HAND HELD VIDEO TOUR LAUNCHED AT CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENTGPS Ranger™ Launched at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah
CEDAR CITY, UT (July 2007)—Cedar Breaks National Monument and Bar Z Adventures, the leading provider of hand-held Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology, announced today the introduction of the GPS Ranger to visitors at the National Park Service site in Utah. Cedar Break National Monument represents the first dedicated scenic and historic application of the GPS Ranger—a hand-held multimedia driving and walking touring device.
The GPS Ranger utilizes groundbreaking technology to automatically deliver compelling audio and vivid video to visitors at any location in the world! Its application at Cedar Breaks is a perfect demonstration of how this type of technology can be used to enhance the experience of each individual visitor and their understanding of the park.
Paul Roelandt, Superintendent of Cedar Breaks National Monument, was the driving force behind implementing this new technology at Cedar Breaks. “We are a park rich in history, spectacular vistas and geologic wonders. The GPS Ranger tour provides each visitor the opportunity to carry detailed and site specific information about the park in the palm of their hand. It offers a unique way for our visitors to experience the park. The format can easily be tailored to fit the amount of time they have and to learn about the topics they are most interested in.”
Cedar Breaks National Monument joins The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta and Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi in providing the GPS Ranger™ to national park visitors. The GPS Ranger is simple—it delivers the park ranger message based on satellite recognition of GPS coordinates. In effect, visitors to the site can have their own personal “ranger” guide them through a tour of the park.
“Unlike other electronic solutions for the tourism industry, the GPS Ranger™ uses GPS to trigger rich multimedia content when the user comes within range of a point of interest. Audio, video, text and pictures are integrated to tell the stories that have woven the fabric of America,” said Lee Little, founder of BarZ Adventures and inventor of the GPS Ranger™ system.
Here is how the device works: Visitors touring Cedar Breaks while holding a GPS Ranger™ will automatically see and hear meaningful and compelling content as they walk or drive around the park. The story of the geologic processes that created the multi-colored amphitheater unfolds as visitors absorb its beauty. As visitors travel along the rim of the Cedar Breaks amphitheater or drive past its lush meadows, a Cedar Breaks park ranger reveals the history, the wildlife, the plant life, and the challenges that make the national monument a magnet for summer and winter visitors. A visitor may also view the entire program on demand, regardless of location, by scrolling the touch screen of the GPS Ranger for content files.
"As we look for new and better ways to fulfill our mission of enhancing the visitor experience at Cedar Breaks National Monument, we are very excited to offer the GPS Ranger," said Lyman Hafen, executive director of Zion Natural History Association. "We believe this partnership with BarZ Adventures puts us on the cutting edge and will make a wonderful difference in the way visitors perceive and respond to this remarkable place."
The GPS Ranger™ is now available for a rental fee of $9.95 at the Cedar Breaks National Monument Visitor Center. The visitor center is open daily from 8:00am to 6:00pm throughout the summer and fall, and is operated by the Zion Natural History Association (ZNHA), a not-for-profit partner of the National Park Service. The mission of ZNHA is to connect people to parks by making educational products and services available to visitors. |
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