User Centered Technologies, Serious Games and Learning

Author(s):  
Giuseppe Conti ◽  
Raffaele De Amicis ◽  
Gabrio Girardi ◽  
Michele Andreolli

The widespread adoption of IT technologies by cultural heritage (CH) has transformed how cultural heritage is presented both to experts and the broad public. In the last few years a large number of multimedia applications, including virtual and augmented reality simulations, have been proposed by researchers and industry alike. However some of these technologies struggle to achieve mass diffusion, most probably due to limitations of their interfaces. Conversely, the recent widespread success of both serious games and mobile applications are laying the foundations for true extensive access to digital information on cultural heritage, creating new possibilities. This chapter illustrates this technological trend, highlighting their potential effects on the public and discussing a number of emerging scenarios of interest for the cultural heritage domain.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Néill O’dwyer ◽  
Emin Zerman ◽  
Gareth W. Young ◽  
Aljosa Smolic ◽  
Siobhán Dunne ◽  
...  

Cross-reality technologies are quickly establishing themselves as commonplace platforms for presenting objects of historical, scientific, artistic, and cultural interest to the public. In this space, augmented reality (AR) is notably successful in delivering cultural heritage applications, including architectural and environmental heritage reconstruction, exhibition data management and representation, storytelling, and exhibition curation. Generally, it has been observed that the nature of information delivery in applications created for narrating exhibitions tends to be informative and formal. Here we report on the assessment of a pilot scene for a prototype AR application that attempts to break this mold by employing a humorous and playful mode of communication. This bespoke AR experience harnessed the cutting-edge live-action capture technique of volumetric video to create a digital tour guide that playfully embellished the museological experience of the museum visitors. This applied research article consists of measuring, presenting, and discussing the appeal, interest, and ease of use of this ludic AR storytelling strategy mediated via AR technology in a cultural heritage context.


Author(s):  
Cristina Portalés ◽  
Sergio Casas ◽  
Lucía Vera ◽  
Javier Sevilla

Cultural heritage (CH) tells us about our roots, and therefore, constitutes a rich value for the society. Its conservation, dissemination, and understanding are of utmost importance. In order to preserve CH for the upcoming generations, it needs to be documented, a process that nowadays is done digitally. Current trends involve a set of technologies (cameras, scanners, etc.) for the shape and radiometric acquisition of assets. Also, intangible CH can be digitally documented in a variety of forms. Having such assets virtualized, a proper dissemination channel is of relevance, and recently, new technologies that make use of interaction paradigms have emerged. Among them, in this chapter, the authors focus their attention in the technologies of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and serious games (SGs). They aim to explore these technologies in order to show their benefits in the dissemination and understanding of CH. Though the work involving them is not trivial, and usually a multidisciplinary team is required, the benefits for CH make them worth it.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Laura Loredana Micoli ◽  
Giandomenico Caruso ◽  
Gabriele Guidi

Interactive multimedia applications in museums generally aim at integrating into the exhibition complementary information delivered through engaging narratives. This article discusses a possible approach for effectively designing an interactive app for museum collections whose physical pieces are mutually related by multiple and articulated logical interconnections referring to elements of immaterial cultural heritage that would not be easy to bring to the public with traditional means. As proof of this concept, a specific case related to ancient Egyptian civilization has been developed. A collection of Egyptian artifacts such as mummies, coffins, and amulets, associated with symbols, divinities, and magic spells through the structured funerary ritual typical of that civilization, has been explained through a virtual application based on the concepts discussed in the methodological section.


Author(s):  
S. Titova ◽  
B. Siryi

Augmented reality (AR) is the integration of digital information with the user’s environment in real time. AR software use in many different ways and for the needs of cartography too. This technology may be useful for the development of navigational mobile applications and actions with static (paper) maps. There are two main operating modalities for implementation of augmented reality in applications: by markers and by the positioning of customer and surrounding objects (by azimuths determination between customer’s device and real objects). The first way is applied for static maps when another way is applied for navigational mobile applications. Augmented reality provides at least six opportunities, which create better options for working with design and content of maps for cartographers. This technology also provides the new experience in the work on maps for customers. The advantages of using augmented reality in cartography are the partial equation of static maps to geographical information systems, adaptability of cartographic images to the needs of users, improving the quality of design and content possibilities of maps and making actions with maps more attractive for customers. However, this technology is not without disadvantages, which connected with the development of AR-applications and requirements to smartphones. In addition, this article reveals aspects of the creation of augmented maps in cartographic companies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-67
Author(s):  
Matúš Formanek ◽  
Vladimír Filip ◽  
Adam Hnat

AbstractThis paper maps out the possibilities of using virtual and augmented reality in the context of virtual museums and galleries. In addition to the many advantages that virtual reality offers in new knowledge acquisition and presentation of cultural heritage objects, we also describe some possible disadvantages or problems directly related to this technology. Next, we try to find the answer to whether the presentation of selected objects of cultural heritage through virtual reality brings better results compared to the presentation in a traditional, museal form in the research part of the article. In conclusion, we summarise and present the results of the conducted research based on the statements of 138 students who participated in our testing.


Author(s):  
Eleonora Pantano ◽  
Assunta Tavernise

To achieve this goal, the chapter focuses on the use of 3D technologies, on virtual and augmented reality, with emphasis on the stereoscopic Virtual Theatre. These innovative tools support the creation of a global vision of the fragmentary archaeological Calabrian heritage, as well as the possibility to play with the virtual findings as in a videogame, by choosing what to explore and the contents to access. Moreover, these technologies exploit the entertaining components of the systems in order to provide personalized and interactive educational contents.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-51
Author(s):  
Maria Engberg ◽  
Jay David Bolter ◽  
Colin Freeman ◽  
Gunnar Liestøl ◽  
Blair MacIntyre

We report here on an application of reality media (virtual and augmented reality) to digital cultural heritage. The particular challenge we address is: how to combine VR and AR to bridge the gap between the center (the museum housing cultural artifacts) and periphery (the heritage site where the artifacts were found) while at the same time attending to, even enhancing, the aura of both artifacts and sites? Our proposed solution is to implement the cultural heritage technique known as situated simulation (sitsim) in combination with a social virtual environment called Hubs. Our case study is a sitsim of the Acropolis in Athens, which can function on location and remotely and offers real-time conferencing capabilities for its participants. 


Author(s):  
Natalie Pang ◽  
Liew Kai Khiun

This chapter seeks to illustrate the authors’ initiative of deploying mobile communication technologies through the ‘iBBC’ app to locate and reference tombstones of prominent historical personalities in Singapore’s Bukit Brown Cemetery. The densely vegetated, 80-year-old former Chinese municipal cemetery filled with more than a hundred thousand graves has been largely neglected, and the traditional Chinese inscriptions written on many of the tombstones are inscrutable to many contemporary visitors. As part of the process of digital interventions, iBBC helps visitors obtain encyclopedic information immediately on-site by using Augmented Reality (AR) to recognize selected tomb monuments. Such interventions are critical in sensitizing the public to the cemetery’s cultural heritage.


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