Collaborative and Multi-Modal Mixed Reality for Enhancing Cultural Learning in Virtual Heritage

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The Digital Museum: A Case Study of Digital Applications at the National Palace Museum

In our current age of information digitization democratization and globalization technology has changed people s habits to expect immediately accessible information Technology is no longer merely a tool but a new medium capable of instantaneously and seamlessly altering people s internal consciousness As the treasure houses of art and artifacts museums have evolved with the times to establish its presence and accessibility in the information age digitizing its collection from which new exhibition formats and museum experiences can be created This paper conducts a literature review of digitization s impact on the curatorial efforts of major world-renowned national museums as the context for a case study evaluating the fruits of digitization at the National Palace Museum in recent years with a focus on the most recent new media art exhibition the Giuseppe Castiglione Lang Shining New Media Art Exhibitio

The Digital Museum: A Case Study of Digital Applications at the National Palace Museum

In our current age of information digitization democratization and globalization technology has changed people s habits to expect immediately accessible information Technology is no longer merely a tool but a new medium capable of instantaneously and seamlessly altering people s internal consciousness As the treasure houses of art and artifacts museums have evolved with the times to establish its presence and accessibility in the information age digitizing its collection from which new exhibition formats and museum experiences can be created This paper conducts a literature review of digitization s impact on the curatorial efforts of major world-renowned national museums as the context for a case study evaluating the fruits of digitization at the National Palace Museum in recent years with a focus on the most recent new media art exhibition the Giuseppe Castiglione Lang Shining New Media Art Exhibitio

From corporeality to virtual reality: theorizing literacy, bodies, and technology in the emerging media of virtual, augmented, and mixed realities

This dissertation explores the relationships between literacy, technology, and bodies in the emerging media of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). In response to the recent, rapid emergence of new media forms, questions arise as to how and why we should prepare to compose in new digital media. To interrogate the newness accorded to new media composing, I historicize the literacy practices demanded by new media by examining digital texts, such as video games and software applications, alongside analogous “antiquated” media, such as dioramas and museum exhibits. Comparative textual analysis of analogous digital and non-digital VR, AR, and MR texts reveals new media and “antiquated” media utilize common characteristics of dimensionality, layering, and absence/presence, respectively. The establishment of shared traits demonstrates how media operate on a continuum of mutually held textual practices; despite their distinctive forms, new media texts do not represent either a hierarchical or linear progression of maturing development. Such an understanding aids composing in new VR, AR, and MR media by enabling composers to make fuller use of prior knowledge in a rapidly evolving new media environment, a finding significant both for educators and communicators. As these technologies mature, we will continue to compose both traditional and new forms of texts. As such, we need literacy theory that attends to both the traditional and the new and also is comprehensive enough to encompass future acts of composing in media yet to emerge

Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy

The metaverse has the potential to extend the physical world using augmented and virtual reality technologies allowing users to seamlessly interact within real and simulated environments using avatars and holograms. Virtual environments and immersive games (such as, Second Life, Fortnite, Roblox and VRChat) have been described as antecedents of the metaverse and offer some insight to the potential socio-economic impact of a fully functional persistent cross platform metaverse. Separating the hype and “meta…” rebranding from current reality is difficult, as “big tech” paints a picture of the transformative nature of the metaverse and how it will positively impact people in their work, leisure, and social interaction. The potential impact on the way we conduct business, interact with brands and others, and develop shared experiences is likely to be transformational as the distinct lines between physical and digital are likely to be somewhat blurred from current perceptions. However, although the technology and infrastructure does not yet exist to allow the development of new immersive virtual worlds at scale - one that our avatars could transcend across platforms, researchers are increasingly examining the transformative impact of the metaverse. Impacted sectors include marketing, education, healthcare as well as societal effects relating to social interaction factors from widespread adoption, and issues relating to trust, privacy, bias, disinformation, application of law as well as psychological aspects linked to addiction and impact on vulnerable people. This study examines these topics in detail by combining the informed narrative and multi-perspective approach from experts with varied disciplinary backgrounds on many aspects of the metaverse and its transformational impact. The paper concludes by proposing a future research agenda that is valuable for researchers, professionals and policy makers alike

Realism, Storytelling and User Experience in HMD-based eXtended Reality for Holocaust Museum

Due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions, the demand for remote museum visiting experiences has increased. Fortunately, technologies like Head Mounted Display (HMD)-based Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have made HMD-based eXtended Reality Museum (HXRM) experiences possible. HXRMs can be one of or a combination of the following: an HMD-based AR museum for on-site experience, or an HMDbased VR museum and an HMD-based Augmented Virtuality (AV) museum for remote online access. HXRM is a new approach for museums to enhance user experience while increasing learning outcomes and accessibility. Though there has been some previous research for HXRM, gaps still exist in the interactive narrative and user experience of HXRM. Thus, this study proposes following three Research Questions (RQ): (1) What is the difference between the impact of NUI and GUI on user experience in the HMD-based AR museum? (2) What is the user experience difference between HMD VR and HMD AV as the medium for XR remotesite museums? (3) How is the user acceptance of HMD-based remote-site XR museums? Based the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and several user experience theories, the author proposed a user experience model for HXRM, an uncanny valley framework for realistic CG character, and an interactive narrative model. Then, in collaboration with National Holocaust Centre and Museum, The Extended Journey project was initiated. The project included an AR HoloLens application, The AR Journey, and a VR application, The Virtual Journey, that can be deployed on AR headsets like HoloLens and VR headsets like HTC Vive, respectively. The Extended Journey is an interactive narrative experience that presents the story of a fictional Jewish boy named Leo using virtual CG characters and environments, allowing the audience to participate in his story from the second-person-view. The audience can not only decide the direction of the storyline by helping Leo make choices, but they could also inspect the environments and objects within them to learn the stories behind them. Three experiments were then conducted using The Extended Journey, and a mixed approach of quantitative and qualitative methods were used for analysis. In experiment 1, a between-subjects design was conducted to answer RQ1, and the results showed that the influence of interaction mapping on presences and narrative engagement for an HMD-based AR museum experience is moderated by prior game experience. In experiments 2 and 3, a between-subjects design and a within-subjects design were performed together to answer RQ 2 and RQ 3. The results showed that HMD VR can produce better narrative immersion, presence, and enjoyment, while also increasing CG characters’ affinities compared to HMD AV in XR remote-site museums. The data analysis also showed narrative-based HXRM had high user acceptance, within which HMD VR demonstrated significantly higher user acceptance levels than HMD AV for remote-site HXRM. Experiments 2 and 3 verified all the hypotheses for the mechanism behind the extended TAM via regression analysis, confirming the influence of the four external factors of narrative engagement, presence, interactivity, and CG characters’ affinity. In addition, the analysis also revealed two other potential external factors with influence over the extended TAM: use environment and device ergonomics. Two independent variables, learning interest and prior game experience, were found to have an impact on these external factors. Finally, the author summarised the design guidelines for HXRM and provide an outlook on the limitations and potential future work of this study

Augmented and Virtual Reality for the promotion of the cultural heritage: analysis of museum mission and visitor experience

The thesis discusses the role of Augmented and Virtual Reality technology for the promotion of the cultural heritage, considering both the museum mission and the visitor experience. The research framework represents an integration of the Contextual Model of Learning developed in the field of Museum Visitor Studies, and the cultural-historical Activity Theory, so to consider the different human, environmental and technological dimensions that determine the visitor experience. The research includes two studies. The first study is a qualitative investigation performed at the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, in order to explore the "design for use" and the "design in use", by collecting data through ethnographic methods and analyzing data through the Service Design Thinking methodology. The second study is an investigation of the museum audience performed using an online questionnaire, to complement and validate the results from study 1. The thesis discusses the results related to the technology as engagement factor, the artifacts ecology and the social interaction among visitors

Realizing consumers’ existential dreams via product marketing and mixed reality: a perspective based on affective neuroscience theories

In an era of swift societal changes and escalating consumerism, this paper presents an exploration of an innovative approach that integrates product marketing strategies, mixed reality (MR) technology, and affective neuroscience theories to actualize consumers’ existential dreams. MR, with its unique capacity to blend the virtual and real worlds, can enhance the consumer experience by creating immersive, personalized environments that resonate with consumers’ existential aspirations. Insights from affective neuroscience, specifically the brain’s processing of emotions, guide the development of emotionally engaging marketing strategies, which strengthen the connection between consumers, products, and brands. These integrated strategies not only present a novel blueprint for companies to deepen consumer engagement but also promise more fulfilling and meaningful consumer experiences. Moreover, this approach contributes to societal well-being and prosperity, marking a significant stride in the field of marketing