A joint project by the Taipei City Government and Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) was announced yesterday to facilitate the use of information technology during next year’s Taipei International Flora Expo that opens in November.
Officials at the state-owned telecoms company said it plans to utilize a number of groundbreaking technologies, including GPS navigational guidance, while providing information using Near Field Communication Technology (NFC) and Bluetooth for mobile phone users.
The exposition is expected to showcase about 33 million flowers of more than 3,300 different types. Officials at the Taipei City Government said the event would be one of the largest and most prominent flower collections in the world.
Speaking at a press conference, Chunghwa Telecom chairman Lu Shyue-ching (呂學錦) said the project would allow the city to not only display “the world’s finest collection of flowers, but also the nation’s technological superiority.”
The project is expected to cost the government more than NT$200 million (US$6.2 million). Telecoms officials said 40 percent of that would be spent on research and development.
In addition to sending information to mobile phones, officials said there would also be interactive guide maps, kiosks for real-time information updates and quick response code and radio frequency identification enabled signs.
The system would be able to handle up to 8 million simultaneous hits, officials said.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the guidance systems would enhance visitors’ experience as they explore the 92 hectare expo site, which will cover Yuanshan Park, Taipei Fine Arts Park, Xinsheng Park and Dajia Riverside Park.
In related news yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilors Chen Yu-mei (陳玉梅) and Wang Chih-ping (汪志冰) accused officials of neglecting to keep their promise to build a pedestrian sidewalk on Zhongshan N Rd showcasing some of the nation’s most famous works of art.
Chen said construction of the sidewalk was thrown into disarray after 20 of 31 large metal plates featuring etched replicas of paintings were stolen from the construction site in June. Instead of replacing the pieces, she said officials covered the missing plates with Flora Expo logos, while the remaining 11 pieces were also removed.
Officials at the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs promised to replace the original metal plates by April.
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