Make your own smart phone app: Calvium's PIRL system is a set of easy to use tools to build and distribute apps which use sensors like GPS to trigger media content. Aimed initially at the cultural and heritage market, the online software offers easy to use tools to design, create, and deliver an experience via the phone company’s app store.

PIRL was developed by technology start-up company Calvium as part of a research project led by Watershed and funded by the Technology Strategy Board. Partners creating trial experiences for the project are Bristol Old Vic, Historic Royal Palaces and MShed:

In December 2010, Historic Royal Palaces released Escape from the Tower, an iPhone game built with the PIRL system. Blending historical tour, treasure hunt and quiz, the app is available to visitors of the Tower of London through Calvium’s PIRL player or through a stand alone app. You can view the video here and download the game here.

Bristol Old Vic used PIRL to create an experience which happens inside its building. Featuring stories and recollections of the theatre through time, memories are automatically triggered (on audience members’ phone) in the exact location they took place and were recorded.

MShed, Bristol's new museum, worked with Slingshot to create a location based game. Fortunes was launched to celebrate the opening of the museum in June 2011. Linking the museum's physical space with the environment around it, the game extends its reach and engages new audiences with the city and the themes and objects in its collection. Download the app by searching for ‘Fortunes' in the app store.  

The project was selected as one of eighteen investments by the Technology Strategy Board to support new research and development projects aimed at helping the UK's digital content creators and rights holders to maximise the commercial return potential from their intellectual property.