Okapis with prehensile tongues. Komodo dragons with deadly saliva. Tree-swinging white-cheeked gibbons with long arms and legs.
It can be difficult to keep track of the 500-plus species at the Memphis Zoo, but through a new technological push, the organization is looking to help visitors do just that, while also providing them with an array of other opportunities through their cell phones.
In other words, the 70-acre Zoo is set to become a “Smart Zoo.”
Recently, the Zoo worked with local digital advertising agency Cobblestone Marketing to develop and release a new mobile app, which includes features such as schedules, live camera feeds, and a detailed map. Through the app, visitors can locate zoo amenities, the tram, and exhibits, with the ability to click on various animals and learn more about them. Most of the information is also embedded into the app and works without wifi.
“I’ve watched my wife and oldest son sit there and look through the app,” said Eric Mellen, Cobblestone partner and chief strategist. “We’re trying to bring the app from just being a zoo app to being an experience you can have with the zoo or at home.”
Mellen and co. are continuing to update the app based on user feedback. And, a significant upgrade is about to be made at the zoo itself, as Cobblestone and the zoo are preparing to install 63 proximity beacons. These will be integrated with the app and are set to be ready by Thanksgiving.
At a cost of $50,000 to $75,000, the beacons come from the tech company Gimbal. According to Mellen, they’re the same ones that are used by Disney Parks and Marriott International.
Mellen said they are planning to use the beacons to implement a new rewards program. And there’s an array of other possibilities, such as sending push notifications to a visitor's phone. For example, facts about animals could appear while guests are watching them.
“If they’re standing in front of the lions for a [certain] amount of time, we can have a pop up [on their phone] with more information about it,” Mellen said. “That’s a possibility.”
Other new features that could come with the addition of beacons are specialized smart wristbands — like the MagicBands used at Walt Disney World — or games and scavenger hunts.
To Mellen, the move is a major step for the zoo, a place that he thinks was in need of a tech upgrade.
“This framework will allow them to take the zoo experience to the next level,” he said. “We could make some incredible experiences with this technology."
