5 research outputs found
Ambient Information Visualisation and Visitors' Technology Acceptance of Mixed Reality in Museums
The visualisation of historical information and storytelling in museums is a crucial process for transferring
knowledge by directly and simplistically engaging the museum audience. Until recently, technological
limitations meant museums were limited to 2D and 3D screen-based information displays. However,
advancements in Mixed reality (MR) devices permit the propagation of a virtual overlay that amalgamates
both real-world and virtual environments into a single spectrum. These holographical devices project a 3D
space around the user which can be augmented with virtual artefacts, thus potentially changing the
traditional museum visitor experience. Few research studies focus on utilising this virtual space to generate
objects that do not visually inhibit or distract the operator. Therefore, this paper aims to introduce the
Ambient Information Visualisation Concept (AIVC) as a new form of storytelling, which can enhance the
communication and interactivity between museum visitors and exhibits by measuring and sustaining an
optimum spatial environment around the user.
Furthermore, this paper investigates the perceptual influences of AIVC on the users’ level of engagement in
the museum. This research paper utilises the Microsoft HoloLens, which is one of the most cutting-edge
imagining technologies available to date, in order to deploy the AIVC in a historical storytelling scene ‘The
Battle’ in the Egyptian department at The Manchester Museum. This research further seeks to measure the
user acceptance of the MR prototype by adopting the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The operational
approaches investigated in this study include; personal innovativeness (PI), enjoyment (ENJ), usefulness
(USF), ease of use (EOU) and willingness of future use (WFU). The population sampling methodology utilised
47 participants from the museum’s daily visitors. Results of this research indicate that the willingness of
future usage construct is the primary outcome of this study, followed by the usefulness factor. Further
findings conclude that the majority of users found this technology highly engaging and easy to use. The
combination of the proposed system and AIVC in museum storytelling has extensive applications in
museums, galleries and cultural heritage places to enhance the visitor experience.
Keywords: Mixed Reality; Storytelling; Visitor Acceptance; Museum; HMDs; Ambient information visualisation; Microsoft HoloLen
Virtual Guidance using Mixed Reality in Historical Places and Museums
Mixed Reality (MR) is one of the most disruptive technologies that shows potential in many application domains, particularly in the tourism and cultural heritage sector. MR using the latest headsets with the highest capabilities introduces a new visual platform that can change people’s visual experience.
This thesis introduces a HoloLens-based mixed reality guidance system for museums and historical places. This new guidance form considers the inclusiveness of the necessary and optimised functionalities, visual and audio guiding abilities, essential roles of a guide, and the related social interactions in the real-time.
A mixed reality guide, dubbed ‘MuseumEye’ was designed and developed for the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, to overcome challenges currently facing the museum, e.g. lack of guiding methods, limited information signposted on the exhibits, lack of visitor engagement resulting in less time spent in the museum compared to other museums with similar capacity and significance. These problems motivated the researcher to conduct an exploratory study to investigate the museum environment and guiding methods by interviewing 10 participants and observing 20 visitors. ‘MuseumEye’ was built based on a literature review of immersive systems in museums and the findings of an exploratory study that reveals visitor behaviours and the nature of guidance in the museum.
This project increased levels of engagement and the length of time visitors spend in museums, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in particular, using the mixed reality technology that provides visitors with additional visual, audio information and computer-generated images at various levels of details and via different media. This research introduces the guidelines of designing immersive reality guide applications using the techniques of spatial mapping, designing the multimedia and UI, and designing interactions for exploratory purposes. The main contributions of this study include various theoretical contributions: 1) creating a new form of guidance that enhances the museum experience through developing a mixed reality system; 2) a theoretical framework that assesses mixed reality guidance systems in terms of perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, interactivity, the roles of a guide and the likelihood of future use; 3) the Ambient Information Visualisation Concept for increasing visitor engagement through better presenting information and enhancing communication and interaction between visitors and exhibits; and a practical contribution in creating a mixed reality guidance system that reshapes the museum space, enhances visitors’ experience and significantly increases the length of time they spend in the museum.
The evaluation comprised of quantitative surveys (171 participants and 9 experts) and qualitative observation (51 participants) using MuseumEye in their tours. The results showed positive responses for all measured aspects and compares these to similar studies. The observation results showed that visitors who use MuseumEye spent four times the duration visitors spent without guides or with human guides in front of exhibited items. The quantitative results showed significant correlations between the measured constructs (perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, multimedia and UI, interactivity) and the likelihood of future use when the roles of guide mediate the relations. Moreover, the ‘perceived guidance’ is the most influential construct on the likelihood of future use of MuseumEye. The results also revealed a high likelihood of future use, which ensures the sustainability of adopting mixed reality technology in museums.
This thesis shows the potential of mixed reality guides in the museum sector that reshape the museum space and offers endless possibilities for museums and heritage sites
Virtual Guidance using Mixed Reality in Historical Places and Museums
Mixed Reality (MR) is one of the most disruptive technologies that shows potential in many application domains, particularly in the tourism and cultural heritage sector. MR using the latest headsets with the highest capabilities introduces a new visual platform that can change people’s visual experience.
This thesis introduces a HoloLens-based mixed reality guidance system for museums and historical places. This new guidance form considers the inclusiveness of the necessary and optimised functionalities, visual and audio guiding abilities, essential roles of a guide, and the related social interactions in the real-time.
A mixed reality guide, dubbed ‘MuseumEye’ was designed and developed for the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, to overcome challenges currently facing the museum, e.g. lack of guiding methods, limited information signposted on the exhibits, lack of visitor engagement resulting in less time spent in the museum compared to other museums with similar capacity and significance. These problems motivated the researcher to conduct an exploratory study to investigate the museum environment and guiding methods by interviewing 10 participants and observing 20 visitors. ‘MuseumEye’ was built based on a literature review of immersive systems in museums and the findings of an exploratory study that reveals visitor behaviours and the nature of guidance in the museum.
This project increased levels of engagement and the length of time visitors spend in museums, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in particular, using the mixed reality technology that provides visitors with additional visual, audio information and computer-generated images at various levels of details and via different media. This research introduces the guidelines of designing immersive reality guide applications using the techniques of spatial mapping, designing the multimedia and UI, and designing interactions for exploratory purposes. The main contributions of this study include various theoretical contributions: 1) creating a new form of guidance that enhances the museum experience through developing a mixed reality system; 2) a theoretical framework that assesses mixed reality guidance systems in terms of perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, interactivity, the roles of a guide and the likelihood of future use; 3) the Ambient Information Visualisation Concept for increasing visitor engagement through better presenting information and enhancing communication and interaction between visitors and exhibits; and a practical contribution in creating a mixed reality guidance system that reshapes the museum space, enhances visitors’ experience and significantly increases the length of time they spend in the museum.
The evaluation comprised of quantitative surveys (171 participants and 9 experts) and qualitative observation (51 participants) using MuseumEye in their tours. The results showed positive responses for all measured aspects and compares these to similar studies. The observation results showed that visitors who use MuseumEye spent four times the duration visitors spent without guides or with human guides in front of exhibited items. The quantitative results showed significant correlations between the measured constructs (perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, multimedia and UI, interactivity) and the likelihood of future use when the roles of guide mediate the relations. Moreover, the ‘perceived guidance’ is the most influential construct on the likelihood of future use of MuseumEye. The results also revealed a high likelihood of future use, which ensures the sustainability of adopting mixed reality technology in museums.
This thesis shows the potential of mixed reality guides in the museum sector that reshape the museum space and offers endless possibilities for museums and heritage sites
Measuring the Effects of Multi-Sensory Stimuli in the Mixed Reality Environment for Tourism Value Creation
This thesis explores the impact of technology-enhanced multisensory stimuli on visitors'
value judgments and behavioural intentions at tourist attractions. The study is based on
the Tourism Value Framework (Smith and Colgate, 2007), which examines the influence
of tourism environment and experience cues on tourist behaviour. To achieve the
objective, four key areas were critically reviewed: 1) value creation in attraction-based
tourism, 2) multisensory experience literature including experiencescape research, 3)
immersion, and 4) mixed-reality technology (Objective 1).
Primary data collection involved two research phases. The first phase included ten semistructured
focus group interviews with visitors at two multisensory mixed-reality tourism
locations in Finland (Objective 2). These interviews provided insights into visitors'
perspectives on value formation, immersive experiences, and mixed-reality technologies.
Thematic analysis of the data revealed five themes and seventeen subthemes, including
context-specific subthemes, which contributed to understanding the multisensory tourism
experience and technology-enhanced experience.
Based on ten hypotheses, a qualitative S-I-V-A value creation framework was developed
for technology-enhanced multisensory mixed reality tourism environments. The second
phase aimed to examine and validate the proposed model by collecting survey responses
from 317 visitors to a multisensory mixed reality tourist environment. Covariance-based
Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM) was used for data analysis (Objective 3). The
research's significant achievement is the creation of the S-I-V-A value creation framework
for technology-enhanced multisensory mixed reality tourist environments, derived from
the study's discoveries (Objective 4).
The thesis concludes by summarizing the theoretical contributions of this research and
offering recommendations to developers and designers in the tourism and mixed-reality
sectors. It acknowledges the study's limitations and suggests potential directions for
future research