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Calcimator

Interactive Exhibit Cost Calculator

Estimate hardware, software, content, and lifetime costs for digital interactive museum exhibits by technology tier.

Inputs

%

Results

Total capital cost

$16,253.00

≈ 8 gaming PCs

Total lifetime cost

$19,403.00

≈ 10 gaming PCs

Hardware cost$3,500.00
Software development$5,000.00
Content production$5,000.00
Installation$1,275.00
Annual maintenance$630.00
Annualized cost$3,881.00
Cost per visitor interaction$0.17
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Technology tier, Number of stations, and Content items.
  2. Set Expected lifespan (years) and Annual maintenance (% of hardware).
  3. Review Total capital cost ($) and Total lifetime cost ($).
  4. Use Hardware cost ($) and Software development ($) to inform your decision.

How the result changes with Content items

Content itemsTotal capital costTotal lifetime cost
51$38,803.00$41,953.00
176$107,553.00$110,703.00
325$189,503.00$192,653.00
450$258,253.00$261,403.00

What each input means

Technology tier
1 = Touchscreen kiosk; 2 = Multi-touch / projection; 3 = Immersive (AR/VR, motion tracking).
Number of stations
Number of interactive stations or installations.
Content items
Number of distinct content pieces (videos, 3D models, interactive segments).
Expected lifespan (years)
Expected useful life before technology refresh.
Annual maintenance (% of hardware)
Annual maintenance and support cost as a percentage of hardware value (typically 15-20%).

What each result means

Total capital cost
One-time cost for hardware, software, content, installation, and PM.
Hardware cost
Total hardware for all stations.
Software development
Custom software development cost.
Content production
Cost to produce all content items.
Installation
Physical installation and integration.
Annual maintenance
Yearly maintenance and support cost.
Total lifetime cost
Capital plus maintenance over the full lifespan.
Annualized cost
Total lifetime cost divided by lifespan years.
Cost per visitor interaction
Estimated cost per individual visitor interaction over the lifespan.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Technology tier = 1, Number of stations = 1, Content items = 10, Expected lifespan (years) = 5 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total capital cost
    Total capital cost = subtotal + pmCost
    16253 = $16,253
  3. Calculate Total lifetime cost
    Total lifetime cost = totalCapital + lifetimeMaintenance
    19403 = $19,403
  4. Calculate Hardware cost
    Hardware cost = hardwarePerStation * stationCount
    3500 = $3,500
  5. Calculate Software development
    Software development = softwareBase + softwareBase * 0.30 * max(0, stationCount - 1)
    5000 = $5,000

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