DESIGNING AN EXTENDED REALITY MOBILE GUIDE APPLICATION TO COMMUNICATE AND INTERPRET SERIAL WORLD HERITAGE SITES: A CASE STUDY OF KOREA’S SEOWON UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Extended reality (XR) mobile guide applications offer unprecedented potential for immersive visitor experiences and in-depth knowledge retention to promote cultural learning at large-scale heritage sites, but, despite their significant development, the literature underexplores these applications for World Heritage sites, especially the serial properties that are spatially dispersed in various locations but configured as a single property. This paper describes a framework (blueprint) for the development of an XR mobile guide application focused on serial properties. By incorporating interactive XR and edutainment features, it explores a way to comprehensively reveal the interconnections between the heritage attributes of the subcomponent of the serial properties and their larger, cross-cultural context vis-à-vis the Outstanding Universal Values. To this end, at the Seowon, the UNESCO World Heritage site in Korea, we analyzed user interactions with a prototype of the XR application to identify user preferences and areas for improving the framework

Narrative approaches to design multi-screen augmented reality experiences

This paper explores how traditional narrative language used in film and theatre can be adapted to create interactivity and a greater sense of presence in the virtual heritage environment. It focuses on the fundamental principles of narrative required to create immersion and presence and investigates methods of embedding intangible social histories into these environments. These issues are explored in a case study of Greens Mill in the 1830’s, interweaving the story of the reform bill riots in Nottingham with the life of George Green, mathematician and proprietor of the Mill

Parametric Surfaces for Augmented Architecture representation

Augmented Reality (AR) represents a growing communication channel, responding to the need to expand reality with additional information, offering easy and engaging access to digital data. AR for architectural representation allows a simple interaction with 3D models, facilitating spatial understanding of complex volumes and topological relationships between parts, overcoming some limitations related to Virtual Reality. In the last decade different developments in the pipeline process have seen a significant advancement in technological and algorithmic aspects, paying less attention to 3D modeling generation. For this, the article explores the construction of basic geometries for 3D model’s generation, highlighting the relationship between geometry and topology, basic for a consistent normal distribution. Moreover, a critical evaluation about corrective paths of existing 3D models is presented, analysing a complex architectural case study, the virtual model of Villa del Verginese, an emblematic example for topological emerged problems. The final aim of the paper is to refocus attention on 3D model construction, suggesting some "good practices" useful for preventing, minimizing or correcting topological problems, extending the accessibility of AR to people engaged in architectural representation

'Breaking the glass': preserving social history in virtual environments

New media technologies play an important role in the evolution of our society. Traditional museums and heritage sites have evolved from the ‘cabinets of curiosity’ that focused mainly on the authority of the voice organising content, to the places that offer interactivity as a means to experience historical and cultural events of the past. They attempt to break down the division between visitors and historical artefacts, employing modern technologies that allow the audience to perceive a range of perspectives of the historical event. In this paper, we discuss virtual reconstruction and interactive storytelling techniques as a research methodology and educational and presentation practices for cultural heritage sites. We present the Narrating the Past project as a case study, in order to illustrate recent changes in the preservation of social history and guided tourist trails that aim to make the visitor’s experience more than just an architectural walk through

Serious Games in Cultural Heritage

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented

Developing serious games for cultural heritage: a state-of-the-art review

Although the widespread use of gaming for leisure purposes has been well documented, the use of games to support cultural heritage purposes, such as historical teaching and learning, or for enhancing museum visits, has been less well considered. The state-of-the-art in serious game technology is identical to that of the state-of-the-art in entertainment games technology. As a result, the field of serious heritage games concerns itself with recent advances in computer games, real-time computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence. On the other hand, the main strengths of serious gaming applications may be generalised as being in the areas of communication, visual expression of information, collaboration mechanisms, interactivity and entertainment. In this report, we will focus on the state-of-the-art with respect to the theories, methods and technologies used in serious heritage games. We provide an overview of existing literature of relevance to the domain, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the described methods and point out unsolved problems and challenges. In addition, several case studies illustrating the application of methods and technologies used in cultural heritage are presented

Multiuser interaction with hybrid VR and AR for cultural heritage objects

This research investigates the factors and ways in which users initiate conversations and engage in interactions in a hybrid virtual environment using a combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices. The research was done in the ‘spirit of the ancient Silk Road’ where trade brought in exchange of ideas, cultural influence and cross-border communications. The notion of a 21st century Silk Road is necessarily digital, over the Internet and based around 3D cultural heritage objects. Digi-Capital’s Report forecasts the revenue of AR and VR to be US$150b by 2020. We projected that VR and AR will become pervasive, much like the Social Web and the universal ubiquity of mobile devices such as smartphones and wearables. Here, we conducted a user study exploring users’ acceptance of the use of hybrid VR and AR for cultural heritage, and investigated the social nature of multiple co-located user interaction. We adapted the UTAUT questionnaire in our experiment and found that social influence has positive effects on performance expectancy and effort expectancy, which generate positive effects on user behavioural intention. This study pioneers the future design and use of hybrid VR and AR technology in cultural heritage specifically, and in other application areas generally by highlighting the significant role that social influence plays in enhancing users’ behavioural intention facilitated by different immersive devices

Multiuser interaction with hybrid VR and AR for cultural heritage objects

This research investigates the factors and ways in which users initiate conversations and engage in interactions in a hybrid virtual environment using a combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) devices. The research was done in the ‘spirit of the ancient Silk Road’ where trade brought in exchange of ideas, cultural influence and cross-border communications. The notion of a 21st century Silk Road is necessarily digital, over the Internet and based around 3D cultural heritage objects. Digi-Capital’s Report forecasts the revenue of AR and VR to be US$150b by 2020. We projected that VR and AR will become pervasive, much like the Social Web and the universal ubiquity of mobile devices such as smartphones and wearables. Here, we conducted a user study exploring users’ acceptance of the use of hybrid VR and AR for cultural heritage, and investigated the social nature of multiple co-located user interaction. We adapted the UTAUT questionnaire in our experiment and found that social influence has positive effects on performance expectancy and effort expectancy, which generate positive effects on user behavioural intention. This study pioneers the future design and use of hybrid VR and AR technology in cultural heritage specifically, and in other application areas generally by highlighting the significant role that social influence plays in enhancing users’ behavioural intention facilitated by different immersive devices

Traditional museums, virtual museums. Dissemination role of ICTs.

Molti spazi della cultura, che si configurano come musei di sé stessi, presentano al loro interno pochi reperti esposti. È il caso di musei in edifici o aree archeologiche di seconda fascia, dai quali la maggior parte dei reperti è stata spostata in musei di importanza superiore o dove i reperti sono stati rimossi per diverse esigenze organizzative/espositive. In queste situazioni le ICT permettono di sviluppare un efficace sistema di comunicazione e disseminazione, coinvolgendo i visitatori e gli studiosi mediante l’utilizzo di procedure collegate all’Edutainment, all’interactive ed immersive experience, ai serious games e alla gamification. Come caso studio sono presi il Museo delle Mura, come museo in un edificio, e la Villa di Massenzio, come area archeologica, entrambi collocati sulla Via Appia Antica a Roma. Le esigenze della Sovrintendenza sono di valorizzare e divulgare: - la presenza del Museo, collocato in una delle numerose porte romane ancora ben conservate e site nel giro delle Mura Aureliane; - la storia della porta e del breve tratto di mura ad essa connesse; - la storia e l’articolazione delle mura di Roma. Per la Villa di Massenzio l’obiettivo principale è far comprendere la storia e la funzione delle due strutture (il circo ed il Mausoleo di Romolo), oggi visibili e visitabili, garantendo una maggiore comprensione di un’area di circa 4 ettari, in cui i visitatori oggi possono beneficiare solo di alcuni pannelli informativi.Many cultural spaces, which have been transformed into museums contain very few exhibits. In particular, museums in buildings or second-tier archaeological areas, where most of the finds have been moved to museums of major importance or exhibits that have been removed for different organizational/exhibition needs. In these situations, the use of ICT affords the possibility to incorporate effective communication and dissemination systems. As a result, it involves visitors and scholars within the exhibit using procedures related to edutainment, interactive and immersive experiences, serious games and gamification. As a case study are taken the Museum of the Walls, as a museum in building, and the archaeological area of the Maxentius archaeological complex, as an open-air museum, both located on the Ancient Appia road. In the Museum of the Walls Superintendent's requirements are to enhance and disseminate: - the presence of the Museum, located in one of the many well-preserved Roman city gates located in the Aurelian Walls; - the history of the city gate and of the short section of walls connected to it; - the history and articulation of the walls of Rome. In the Maxentius archaeological the main goal is to make understand the history and the function of the two main structures (the circus and a Mausoleum of Romulus), which are visible and open to visitors, ensuring a greater understanding of an area with the size of about 4 hectares, where visitors today can only benefit information from some panels