Samsung’s new innovation museum celebrates history of electronics, makes us want to vacation in Seoul
Whenever you can create a museum — of any sort — you’ve probably been designated as “big time.” Samsung has definitely earned that title in the realm of consumer electronics, display technology and telepathy, and they just opened an innovation museum to strengthen their case.
Stationed in the heart of Seoul, South Korea — the company’s proverbial stomping grounds — the Samsung innovation museum is more than just a big fat pat on the back. The museum is predictably chock full of reminders that Samsung has had a major hand in moving consumer electronics forward, but the literal ground level of the technological sanctuary stands to celebrate the vast history of electronics.
From Benjamin Franklin’s discovery of electricity to Thomas Edison’s invention of the commercial incandescent light bulb, from Bell’s telephone to the telegraph, from ugly TVs to ugly radios, and beyond — it’s all here. And in case you thought Samsung was above promoting the competition in a positive light, they’ve even given Motorola props for the world’s first mobile phone, even if it was an ugly brick of a thing.
Of course, many contemporary forms of these innovations are used in a subtle way throughout the exhibit. Samsung’s translucent displays, for instance, stand to showcase these ancient artifacts behind glass while dynamically displaying information about them. Tablets are used to feed you information on more open-ended displays.
The higher up you go, the more advanced technology gets. Samsung increasingly beats its own drum at that point of the exhibit, with them showcasing the hand they had in moving forward home appliances and electronics, the mobile industry, and the internet.
And when you reach the fifth and final floor? A full blast of modern Samsung wizardry, with their latest smart watches, smartphones, smart TVs and more firmly planted all over the place. They even have a display of a military dummy soldier with a Galaxy phone embedded in their flak jacket for the purpose of issuing orders and information to soldiers.
The museum sounds pretty impressive, to be quite honest. Perhaps it’s not impressive enough alone to make me want to take an expensive trip to Seoul, but it certainly would be atop the list of many other great things to visit the beautiful city for. Be sure to visit the museum’s website here for more information and planning purposes.
More: The Verge