390 research outputs found
A framework study on the use of immersive XR technologies in the cultural heritage domain
Most cultural promotion and dissemination are nowadays performed through the digitization of heritage
sites and museums, a necessary requirement to meet the new needs of the public. Augmented Reality
(AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) have the potential to improve the experience quality
and educational effect of these sites by stimulating users’ senses in a more natural and vivid way. In this
respect, head-mounted display (HMD) devices allow visitors to enhance the experience of cultural sites
by digitizing information and integrating additional virtual cues about cultural artifacts, resulting in a
more immersive experience that engages the visitor both physically and emotionally.
This study contributes to the development and incorporation of AR, MR, and VR applications in the
cultural heritage domain by providing an overview of relevant studies utilizing fully immersive systems,
such as headsets and CAVE systems, emphasizing the advantages that they bring when compared to
handheld devices. We propose a framework study to identify the key features of headset-based Extended
Reality (XR) technologies used in the cultural heritage domain that boost immersion, sense of presence,
and agency. Furthermore, we highlight core characteristics that favor the adoption of these systems over
more traditional solutions (e.g., handheld devices), as well as unsolved issues that must be addressed to
improve the guests’ experience and the appreciation of the cultural heritage.
An extensive search of Google Scholar, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and Wiley Online
Library databases was conducted, including papers published from January 2018 to September 2022.
To improve review reporting, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
(PRISMA) guidelines were used. Sixty-five papers met the inclusion criteria and were classified depending
on the study’s purpose: education, entertainment, edutainment, touristic guidance systems, accessibility,
visitor profiling, and management.
Immersive cultural heritage systems allow visitors to feel completely immersed and present in the
virtual environment, providing a stimulating and educational cultural experience that can improve the
quality and learning purposes of cultural visits. Nonetheless, the analyzed studies revealed some limitations that must be faced to give a further impulse to the adoption of these technologies in the cultural
heritage domain
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