The ‘DISCOVER ROBE’ app hosts two self-guided, non-linear tours that use GPS in your mobile device to navigate you to points of interest through an open-air museum of some of Robe's historical buildings, places and events. You will be informed and engaged as you interact with their stories told through video, audio, text, images, tasks and challenges.
There are currently 20 points of interest (POI) in the two tours.
TOUR A – Historical Buildings (10 POI)
TOUR B – Historical Events, People and Places (10 POI)
You can choose to explore all the locations in a tour in one session or partially complete a tour then come back to it later to finish it. We hope that engaging with ‘Discover Robe’ encourages you to view Robe’s history actively, to learn by exploring it with your eyes, ears and legs, and to find your own place in it.
We hope you enjoy the tours.
While using this app, please be cautious and remain aware of your surroundings including other vehicles, pedestrians, signals and signage. Please take it at your own pace. You can't get lost. Move slowly - you are not alone out here! There are cars, bicyclers, workers and tourists also enjoying and using this space.
An alternative way of engaging with the same interpretive content in the mobile tours is to use a computer using a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari etc) and the web-based version of the app which can be loaded at https://discoverrobe.stqry.app.
After you launch the web-based version of the app hover your mouse over the RHS edge of the browser window and the mouse pointer will turn into a double-headed arrow. Hold the mouse button down and drag the window to the left so it becomes ‘tall and skinny’. In doing so you will simulate the appearance of the tour in the (default) mobile-version of the app. Click the back button on your browser to return to the tours window from the Guidelines window.
The web-based app can be used from anywhere in the world - there is no navigation required. Each POI is activated by either directing your mouse pointer to a pin and clicking or selecting it from the bulleted menu icon in the top right-hand corner of the map. A small rectangular screen appears at the bottom of the window with the name of the POI and an upwards arrow-head [^] to click with your mouse to bring up the interpretive content. Other POIs can be activated by using the [Prev] and [Next] arrows at the bottom of the window or mouse-click the Close button [bottom-centre] to return to the map and the POIs.
To reveal all the POIs when the interpretive window is ‘tall and skinny’ - click in the box icon at the top and they will all be revealed again.
Please note that by using the web-based app some interactive content and challenges included in the tours which require you to physically be at a POI cannot be completed.
Download the ‘Discover Robe' app and tours from either the Apple App Store (iPhones or iPads) or Google Play Store (Android devices) from a location where there is good Wi-Fi. Once the app is downloaded, the tour is contained on your mobile device and works entirely offline and access to a mobile service is not required. Please note however, that some third-party interactions incorporated into the tour which are used to record reflections or engage you in a virtual tour require internet access through your mobile data network and data costs/usage apply.
Turn on your device's Location Services for location tracking and set location access to ‘While Using the App’ and ensure GPS is enabled on your phone as that’s what is going to ensure accurate navigation to the POIs in the tours. With this on, the app tracks your map position (seen as a blue dot) using your mobile device's GPS. However, if you want to run other apps at the same time or have the phone on lock-screen you need to have the local access setting to Always allow, or the app won't always pick up the geo-location that triggers the interpretative content. Once you've finished the tour you can go back and turn location access off on the app if you wish.
Note: Using Location Services may cause your device's battery to drain more quickly. See the FAQ link on maintaining battery power.
Before starting the tour, please take a moment to orient yourself to the four tabs at the bottom of the app screen. These are:
Home (house icon) - takes you back to the Tours on the app
About (information icon) - shows information, terms and conditions of use
Acknowledgements (clapping hand icon) – shows acknowledgement of country, major sponsors and contributors
Settings (cog icon) - use to check for updates, turn on location events and to clear responses to quizzes
Each POI has an interpretive screen containing a video story (usually < 3 minutes) followed by a text transcript of the narrative used in the video. Scroll down and underneath the text is usually a ‘Learn More’ section containing additional content which you can activate with a mouse click (computer) or tap (mobile device). There is also a challenge to complete which involves either doing something or remembering content in the video or text to answer a question.
Points are scored for correct answers and on showing your total score at the Robe Visitor Information Centre after completing a tour you may receive a small reward for a perfect or near-perfect score on the challenges (TBC).
After downloading the ‘Discover Robe’ app choose either TOUR A or TOUR B and use a mouse click (computer) or tap (mobile device) on the appropriate tour image to activate the tour overview. Play the audio and read the short introduction text.
When ready, click (or tap) the orange ‘Start Tour’ button to download the content of the tour and associated map to your device. This may take between 1-5 minutes depending on your Wi-Fi connection speed.
When downloading is complete a map will open showing the POIs in the tour you selected. If using a mobile phone or tablet and GPS and location services are on your position is also shown by a blue circle making it easy for you to navigate to any POI on the tour.
To exit the tour, click or tap on the a cross (X) located in the top RHS corner of the screen.
You have three options for starting your self-guided, non-linear tour.
Use GPS and the POI map (mobile device)
The tour always opens at the first POI when you tap 'Start Tour'. In TOUR A this is the Obelisk and in TOUR B it is the Robe Cemetery (Note: The active POI marker on the map always has a blue circle at its centre – the others have a white circle). You do not have to start at this first POI though. Simply go to any POI and you will get an activation alert on your mobile device when you are within 25-50 metres of it and the interpretive content associated will appear on the screen. View the video, read the text, and scroll down to complete the challenge and any other activities related to the POI before moving to the next location.
Select any POI on a list (mobile device or computer web-app)
Open the complete list of POIs from the bulleted menu icon in the top right-hand corner of the map, select a POI, and click or tap to open its interpretive content.
Use the map and select a POI map pin (mobile device or computer web-app)
Select any POI by tapping (or mouse-click) on a map pin. Activate the interpretive content screen from the small rectangular screen which appears at the bottom of with a mouse click or tap on the upwards arrow-head [^]. Move to the previous or next POI on the list using the left and right arrows on the navigation bar. If using a mobile device, you can move around the map, zooming in and out, to see overlapping map pins and advance to new POIs to activate their interpretive content.
How to get the most out of your tour (Mobile Devices)
Bring your headphones! Although you can listen through the phone loudspeaker, the sound will be much better through your headphones, and you will ensure you don't annoy people around you.
Start with as much battery as possible. Just running the tour doesn't use too much battery but using the map needs quite a bit of power. If the app is still running in the background it will continue to use battery power too, so make sure to close it when you don't need it.
You can avoid roaming and data charges by downloading the app and your tour while on Wi-Fi. The tour runs off-line.
We recommend spending some time in the town where the tours finish.
The Map Icons
The map is controlled by touch and an icon strip. This is to help you navigate the map and move to the next point of interest.
About the POI Pins
POI Pins are shown on the map in blue. The one red pin in each tour is adjacent to the Robe Visitor Information Centre and is where you should go show your challenge total score on completion of the tour. (TBC)
Do I need to use mobile data to run the app? (mobile devices)
You won't need to use data to run the app if you download the app and the tour while on Wi-Fi. The mobile tour app picks up the stops by geo-location. You must ensure your GPS is on for the geo-location to work though. Third-party interactions incorporated into the tours which are used to record reflections or take you on virtual tours do require internet access through your 4G/5G mobile data network while active.
GPS location (mobile devices)
You need to allow the app to access your location. You normally get the option to do this when you download the app. If you didn't click to allow it then you might need to go into your phone or tablet settings and amend it. Also go into the app settings and make sure 'notify me of nearby locations' is selected.
How do the maps work? (mobile devices)
To access the off-line map, click on your selected tour and 'Start Tour' and you will see the area covered by the tour and how to get to the starting point. If you don't have any issues with roaming charges or low data allowance, using online maps is an even better option. You'll can access online maps through the cog icon on the map.
Does the app use a lot of battery power? (mobile devices)
Ideally start with a full battery as any app using GPS for location access needs quite a bit of battery power. Using the app in off-line mode does use less battery than if you're online and you can always switch to off-line mode to save battery power. It's worth knowing that running the video and audio uses up less battery than using the maps. And remember that if the app is still running in the background it will continue to use battery power too, so make sure to close it when you don't need it.
What do I do if I want to pause the tour? (mobile devices)
If you are venturing off the route of the tour, for a coffee break or to take a detour for example, close the app window so that it's not running in the background and using up battery power. When you are ready to return to the tour, open on the app again and click 'Start Tour'. It will pick up the next location when you get to it though it could pick up a POI you've already been to as the tour is now running afresh and doesn't know you've already been to that stop. The simplest way to continue is to find your way to the POI you want to pick up next and let GPS activate it for you as you approach.
How do I return to a tour after a 3rd party interaction (virtual tour or reflection)
For Apple devices (iPhone, iPad), tap the small icon [< Discover Robe] or the clock icon showing in the top left of the screen. For Android devices use the back [<] icon to return. If you are engaging with the content using the web-based app on a computer, simply close the browser window that the 3rd party content appears in to return to the tab with the map and the tour. If completely ‘lost’ go to the Home button and re-launch the tour.
Issues with virtual tours not working in older mobile devices
Older iPhones and iPads running iOS12 or earlier and Android OS devices running v4,5 software will not be able to navigate through the virtual tours included at some locations by touching the screen with their finger. This is because these old operating systems do not support “Pointer Events”. This means that they can not tell the virtual tour software where the users finger is, or what it’s doing. Click events (eg hotspots) in the tours will still work however as those use a different detection method.
There is a partial 'fix' though.
Turning on 'Motion and Orientation Access' in devices running iOS12 in Settings for Safari allows the user to navigate through the virtual tours by physically moving their mobile device left and right and up and down without touching the screen. It does not permit zooming though. A similar control may exist in older Android OS settings.
How do I return to the tour from a podcast? (mobile and web-based)
The back arrow at the top left of your window will take you back to the main tour.
How do I view a video again? (mobile and web-based)
You can go into a tour to any POI and start the video with a mouse-click (computer) or a tap (mobile device) of the play icon in the centre of the video window.
Accessibility
The route for both tours is fully accessible for wheelchair users and anyone who has trouble using stairs but be aware that some POIs are approached by way of unpaved surfaces. The audio in each video provides information for those who are visually impaired, and the video and its transcript provide information for those who are hearing impaired.