Pixilab - Server function: Visitor Data Collection

Blocks allows for visitor data collection, based on the location awareness provided by the Locator block, as well as other forms of data collection. This feature, which is licensed separately, adds the following capabilities:

• Identify individual visitors either based on their mobile device, a token of some kind (such as an RFID bracelet), or a combination of both.
• When using mobile devices, based on the Visitor Spot, you can interact with each individual visitor, providing a tailored experience with detailed control over what appears on that person’s mobile device.
• A visitor can enter information or preferences –such as name, favorite color, age, etc – through her mobile device, using separate registration kiosks or other points of interaction.
• When visiting a particular location, this information can be collected either based on the visitor scanning a “token" or using a Locator block on a mobile device. • Use a Camera Block to collect pictures taken by (or of) the visitor, showing such pictures later during the visitor’s journey.
• Collect individual scores from gaming stations, or similar. • Present visitor information, scores, pictures , remaining credits, or similar, when visiting relevant stations.
• Aggregate information from multiple visitors, presenting the result as “high scores" or other forms of collective data.

These capabilities are based on the following key features:

• An enhanced Visitor Spot, allowing you to programmatically interact with each individual visitor. This provides most of the scripting capabilities previously only available for Display Spots, such as the ability to present personalized content to each visitor.
• A built-in, high-performance database, managed by Blocks, collecting and logging all visitor interactions into individual visitor data records.
• User Script enhancements for creating, using and managing the lifecycle of visitor data records as well as interacting with individual Visitor Spots.

A User Script defines the database schema used to collect visitor information, and is responsible for creating the data record, updating and using its content during the visit, and finally discarding the record. This mechanism is specifically designed to manage data during a single visit, with data being discarded (or archived) as the visitor leaves or at the end of the day. It is not intended as a long-term data storage mechanism. (There’a separate Blocks API for dealing with external SQL databases, if you need that.)

Privacy Considerations

Since this mechanism potentially collects personally identifiable information, you need to take the regulations in your jurisdiction into consideration (e.g., the European GDPR). If such data is collected, you may need to inform your visitors about this and possibly obtain their permission to do so. The fact that data can be discarded when they leave (or at the end of the day), alleviates some of the potential difficulties involved (such as the “right to be forgotten").