The Viewlogy–Electronic Biographical Gravestone was a computerized
memorial
A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...
that could be installed into a
gravestone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...
or a
cremation urn
An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...
. It was released in 1997.
[(Wall Street Journal (March 16, 1998), Cleveland Plain Dealer (Jan 11, 1998), Popular Science (Nov 1997), Newsweek Mar 24, 1997), Time Magazine ( Nov 10, 1997), PBS, Forbes Magazine ( July 27, 1998) etc)]
Designed by Leif Technology Inc, the Viewlogy consisted of a dedicated biographical computer that stored the life story and photographs of the deceased in digital format burned permanently into the
ROM of the custom designed computer. Up to 200 pages of information could be stored and displayed on the
LCD screen. People would submit life stories and photographs which would then be recorded in the computer's memory.
The unit was locked into a weatherproof stainless steel case with a
lexan
Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, tough materials, and some grades are optically transparent. They are easily worke ...
protective screen which was then placed into a gravestone. Versions of Viewlogy were also adapted for cremation urns and flush-to-ground bronze markers. The device was powered by a replaceable battery with ten years of expected life. A solar powered model was also planned. The cost of the device (and the cost to generate the biographical information) proved too high at the time for full production.
References
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External links
1997 news story on Viewlogy product
Burial monuments and structures