Virtual Heritage

Virtual heritage has been explained as virtual reality applied to cultural heritage, but this definition only scratches the surface of the fascinating applications, tools and challenges of this fast-changing interdisciplinary field. This book provides an accessible but concise edited coverage of the main topics, tools and issues in virtual heritage. Leading international scholars have provided chapters to explain current issues in accuracy and precision; challenges in adopting advanced animation techniques; shows how archaeological learning can be developed in Minecraft; they propose mixed reality is conceptual rather than just technical; they explore how useful Linked Open Data can be for art history; explain how accessible photogrammetry can be but also ethical and practical issues for applying at scale; provide insight into how to provide interaction in museums involving the wider public; and describe issues in evaluating virtual heritage projects not often addressed even in scholarly papers. The book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in museum studies, digital archaeology, heritage studies, architectural history and modelling, virtual environments

Virtual Heritage

Virtual heritage has been explained as virtual reality applied to cultural heritage, but this definition only scratches the surface of the fascinating applications, tools and challenges of this fast-changing interdisciplinary field. This book provides an accessible but concise edited coverage of the main topics, tools and issues in virtual heritage. Leading international scholars have provided chapters to explain current issues in accuracy and precision; challenges in adopting advanced animation techniques; shows how archaeological learning can be developed in Minecraft; they propose mixed reality is conceptual rather than just technical; they explore how useful Linked Open Data can be for art history; explain how accessible photogrammetry can be but also ethical and practical issues for applying at scale; provide insight into how to provide interaction in museums involving the wider public; and describe issues in evaluating virtual heritage projects not often addressed even in scholarly papers. The book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in museum studies, digital archaeology, heritage studies, architectural history and modelling, virtual environments

Investigating Real-time Touchless Hand Interaction and Machine Learning Agents in Immersive Learning Environments

The recent surge in the adoption of new technologies and innovations in connectivity, interaction technology, and artificial realities can fundamentally change the digital world. eXtended Reality (XR), with its potential to bridge the virtual and real environments, creates new possibilities to develop more engaging and productive learning experiences. Evidence is emerging that thissophisticated technology offers new ways to improve the learning process for better student interaction and engagement. Recently, immersive technology has garnered much attention as an interactive technology that facilitates direct interaction with virtual objects in the real world. Furthermore, these virtual objects can be surrogates for real-world teaching resources, allowing for virtual labs. Thus XR could enable learning experiences that would not bepossible in impoverished educational systems worldwide. Interestingly, concepts such as virtual hand interaction and techniques such as machine learning are still not widely investigated in immersive learning. Hand interaction technologies in virtual environments can support the kinesthetic learning pedagogical approach, and the need for its touchless interaction nature hasincreased exceptionally in the post-COVID world. By implementing and evaluating real-time hand interaction technology for kinesthetic learning and machine learning agents for self-guided learning, this research has addressed these underutilized technologies to demonstrate the efficiency of immersive learning. This thesis has explored different hand-tracking APIs and devices to integrate real-time hand interaction techniques. These hand interaction techniques and integrated machine learning agents using reinforcement learning are evaluated with different display devices to test compatibility. The proposed approach aims to provide self-guided, more productive, and interactive learning experiences. Further, this research has investigated ethics, privacy, and security issues in XR and covered the future of immersive learning in the Metaverse.<br/

Investigating Real-time Touchless Hand Interaction and Machine Learning Agents in Immersive Learning Environments

The recent surge in the adoption of new technologies and innovations in connectivity, interaction technology, and artificial realities can fundamentally change the digital world. eXtended Reality (XR), with its potential to bridge the virtual and real environments, creates new possibilities to develop more engaging and productive learning experiences. Evidence is emerging that thissophisticated technology offers new ways to improve the learning process for better student interaction and engagement. Recently, immersive technology has garnered much attention as an interactive technology that facilitates direct interaction with virtual objects in the real world. Furthermore, these virtual objects can be surrogates for real-world teaching resources, allowing for virtual labs. Thus XR could enable learning experiences that would not bepossible in impoverished educational systems worldwide. Interestingly, concepts such as virtual hand interaction and techniques such as machine learning are still not widely investigated in immersive learning. Hand interaction technologies in virtual environments can support the kinesthetic learning pedagogical approach, and the need for its touchless interaction nature hasincreased exceptionally in the post-COVID world. By implementing and evaluating real-time hand interaction technology for kinesthetic learning and machine learning agents for self-guided learning, this research has addressed these underutilized technologies to demonstrate the efficiency of immersive learning. This thesis has explored different hand-tracking APIs and devices to integrate real-time hand interaction techniques. These hand interaction techniques and integrated machine learning agents using reinforcement learning are evaluated with different display devices to test compatibility. The proposed approach aims to provide self-guided, more productive, and interactive learning experiences. Further, this research has investigated ethics, privacy, and security issues in XR and covered the future of immersive learning in the Metaverse.<br/

A Study on the Field of XR Simulation Creation, Leveraging Game Engines to Develop a VR Hospital Framework

This thesis introduces an adaptable and extensible VR framework designed for clinicians and patients using pre-existing game development software like Blender and Unreal Engine. The framework aids patients in familiarizing themselves with hospital scenarios and environments, reducing anxiety, and improving navigation. Clinicians can use the tool to educate patients and collaboratively design new aspects of the environment. A prototype implementation demonstrates the system\u27s effectiveness, with usability studies indicating that teleport movement is preferred over sliding for locomotion and that navigation speed can improve with subsequent trials in the VR simulator. The framework\u27s potential for enhancing patient experience and facilitating informed consent is also discussed. The research findings provide valuable insights for future VR healthcare applications while affirming the valuable future applications of the hospital framework and development workflow

A study of stakeholders' experience of the architectural design process to stimulate an interactive form of communication

The architectural design process involves the input of many stakeholders. Communication between them is crucial as it ensures an effective design process. The practice of architecture has been transformed by advances in hardware and software technologies, to the point where both the workflow and the design process are changing. These technologies have also impacted on the methods of representing and communicating design work. At present, traditional communication uses 2D and 3D drawings, as well as digital media such as animation, computer gaming or graphic design, which have impacted on architectural representations. While these tools are very useful, problems in communication between stakeholders are revealed. For instance, differences in architectural background knowledge and requirements lead to misunderstanding the design, confusion caused by working on inconsistent information, and use of incompatible software which causes difficulties in accessing work. This research project attempts to identify and analyse issues relating to communication within the design process in order to improve it. The study is undertaken using a number of key questions to guide the development and progress of the research. The extent of communication via digital media in the design process, in contemporary architectural practice, is examined, along with the perceived value of digital technology by stakeholders. Architectural design work would benefit from exploiting digital media and the Internet to provide an effective form of communication for enabling a user/stakeholder-oriented involvement in the design process. The work presented revisits the conventional methods of communication in design work, between various interested parties in any given project (stakeholders: architects, engineers, planners and clients), with a view to formulating an outline for a potential system that facilitates communication as part of a participatory design process. This study puts forward suggestions to improve communication in the design process, through a storyboard represents users’ experiences in using an interactive communication system. The suggestions are being tested through a mock-up of the web application, which is then presented to participants to receive feedback. Three guiding principles inform the development of the final system: interaction (to allow fast input and feedback); accessibility (to ensure any particular design software is able to interact with the system); and inclusivity (to allow both specialists and lay people to use the system)