Maribor graveyard enters IT age
Maribor, 23 March - Information computerization seems to have infiltrated our daily lives and the undertaking business is no exception. The days of traditional tombstones may very well be over, as a new digital tombstone was presented at the Maribor graveyard on Thursday.
Maribor
A new, digital tombstone iTernal.
Photo: Andreja Seršen Dobaj/STA
The idea behind iTernal is to expand the information that visitors of a graveyard can get on the deceased far beyond the mere name, dates of birth and death, and possibly a photo.
The digital tombstone allows for a number of other data, including videos, to be uploaded and displayed on a screen that is protected against weather conditions and vandalism.
According to the Maribor undertaking institute, this is a novelty in the industry and a result of cooperation between the Maribor Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Slovenian and international SMEs.
When in hibernation, the digital tombstone displays the basic info on the deceased much like any classic tombstone. But when a passer-by spends a few seconds next to it, its motion and eye sensors switch on the projection of the data stored.
Powered by electricity, solar power or batteries, iTernal will be available in different sizes and allow for various adjustments.
The price of the model presented today is just under EUR 3,000.
The Maribor Pobrežje graveyard was also the first in Europe to present a digital mobile graveyard guide ARTOUR a few years ago.