Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Augmented Reality and Avatars for Museum Heritage Storytelling

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Beyond Digital Representation

  • 317 Accesses

Abstract

This research has been carried out in the framework of the research agreement to enhance the cultural assets of the Museo d’Arte Orientale (MAO) in Turin through digitization, 3D modelling and experiences in virtual and augmented reality. The aim of the present work is to communicate the evolutionary process in Buddha iconography in the Mathura area through three statues from the permanent collection of the MAO. This aim is connected with the general goal to increase inclusivity and remove spatiotemporal barriers in museums and their collections by meeting the diverse needs of visitors related to age, physical, sensory, cognitive, and cultural factors. The pipeline passes through the digital survey and 3D modelling of the artworks, the philological reconstruction modelling of the lacunae, the creation of an avatar guide, and the elaboration of the tour path in augmented reality (AR). Digital storytelling connected to the avatar enriches the experience by providing information about the context, history, and characters related to the works. One of the values that characterize the entire process is the predominant use of free and open-source software (FOSS) up to the prototype stage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Trunfio, M., Della Lucia, M., Campana, S., Magnelli, A.: Innovating the cultural heritage museum service model through virtual reality and augmented reality: the effects on the overall visitor experience and satisfaction. J. Herit. Tour. 17(1), 1–19 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Camarero, C., Garrido, M.J.: Fostering innovation in cultural contexts: Market orientation, service orientation, and innovations in museums. J. Serv. Res. 15(1), 39–58 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dieck, M.C.T., Jung, T.H.: Value of augmented reality at cultural heritage sites: a stakeholder approach. J. Destination Mark Manage 6(2), 110–117 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Anastassia Angelopoulou, A., Economou, D., Bouki, V., Psarrou, A., Jin, L., Pritchard, C., Kolyda, F.: Mobile augmented reality for cultural heritage. In: Venkatasubramanian, N. et al. (eds.) Mobilware 2011, LNICST 93, pp. 15–22 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pallud, J., Monod, E.: User experience of museum technologies: the phenomenological scales. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 19(5), 562–580 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Lanir, J., Wecker, A.J., Yosfan, M., Eilam, B.: Using mobile devices as activity aids in a history museum. In: Workshop on Advanced Visual Interfaces and Interactions in Cultural Heritage, pp. 1–5 (2020).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Camuñas-García, D., Cáceres-Reche, M.P., de la Encarnación Cambil-Hernández, M.: Mobile game-based learning in cultural heritage education: a bibliometric analysis. Educ. + Training 1–16 (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Piccialli, F., Yoshimura, Y., Benedusi, P., Ratti, C., Cuomo, S.: Lessons learned from longitudinal modeling of mobile-equipped visitors in a complex museum. Neural Comput. Appl. 32, 7785–7801 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bekele, M.K., Town, C., Pierdicca, R., Frontoni, E., Malinverni, E.S.: A survey of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality for cultural heritage. J. Comput. Cult. Heritage 11(2), 1–36 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Buhalis, D., Harwood, T., Bogicevic, V., Viglia, G., Beldona, S., Hofacker, C.: Technological disruptions in services: lessons from tourism and hospitality. J. Serv. Manag. 30(4), 484–506 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wang, N., Xia, L.: Human-exhibition interaction (HEI) in designing exhibitions: a systematic literature review. Int. J. Hosp. Manag. 77, 292–302 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang, X., Yang, D., Yow, C.H., Huang, L., Wu, X., Huang, X., Guo, J., Zhou, S., Cai, Y.: Metaverse for cultural heritages. Electronics 11, 3730 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Schaper, M.M., Santos, M., Malinverni, L., Zerbini Berro, J., Pares, N.: Learning about the past through situatedness, embodied exploration and digital augmentation of cultural heritage sites. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud. 114, 36–50 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Trunfio, M., Campana, S.: A visitors’ experience model for mixed reality in the museum. Curr. Issue Tour. 23(9), 1053–1058 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Jung, T.H., tom Dieck, M.C.: Augmented reality, virtual reality and 3D printing for the co-creation of value for the visitor experience at cultural heritage places. J. Place Manage. Dev. 10(2), 140–151 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Loureiro, S.M.C., Guerreiro, J., Ali, F.: 20 years of research on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism context: a text-mining approach. Tour. Manage. 77, 104028 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yung, R., Khoo-Lattimore, C.: New realities: a systematic literature review on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism research. Curr. Issue Tour. 22(17), 2056–2081 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Geigel, J., Shitut, K.S., Decker, J., Doherty, A., Jacobs, G.: The digital docent: XR storytelling for a living history museum. In: 26th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, 74, pp. 1–3 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sanna, A., Lamberti, F., Bazzano, F., Maggio, L.: Developing touch-less interfaces to interact with 3D contents in public exhibitions. In: De Paolis, L., Mongelli, A. (eds.) International Conference on Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Computer Graphics, pp. 293–303. Springer, Cham (2016)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  20. Hammady, R., Ma, M.: Designing spatial UI as a solution of the narrow FOV of Microsoft HoloLens: prototype of virtual museum guide. In: tom Dieck, M., Jung, T. (eds.) Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Progress in IS, pp. 217–231. Springer, Cham (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Resta, G., Dicuonzo, F., Karacan, E., Pastore, D.: The impact of virtual tours on museum exhibitions after the onset of Covid-19 restrictions: visitor engagement and long-term perspectives. Sci. Res. Inform. Technol. 11(1), 151–166 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Moorhouse, N., tom Dieck, C., Jung, T.: An experiential view to children learning in museums with augmented reality. Museum Manage. Curatorship 34(4), 402–418 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ferretti, U., Quattrini, R., D’Alessio, M.: Comprehensive HBIM to XR framework for museum management and user experience in Ducal Palace at Urbino. Heritage 5(3), 1551–1571 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Paxinou, E., Kiourt, C., Sypsas, A., Zafeiropoulos, V., Sgourou, A., Kalles, F.: Cross-reality technologies in archaeometry bridge humanities with hard science, In: Pavlidis, G. (ed.) Applying Innovative Technologies in Heritage Science, pp. 85–108. IGI Global, Hershey (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wang, B.: Digital design of smart museum based on artificial intelligence. Mob. Inf. Syst. 4894131, 1–13 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hassannia, R., Barenji, A.V., Li, Z., Alipour, H.: Web-based recommendation system for smart tourism: multi-agent technology. Sustainability 11(2), 323 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. O Connor, J., Abou-Zahra, S., Covarrubias Rodriguez, M., Aruanno, B.: XR Accessibility: learning from the past and addressing real user needs for inclusive immersive environments. In: Proceedings of 17th International Conference, Part I, pp. 117–122. Springer, Cham (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Comes, R.: Haptic devices and tactile experiences in museum exhibitions. J. Ancient Hist. Archaeol. 3(4), 60–64 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Schofield, G., Beale, G., Beale, N., Fell, M., Hadley, D.: Viking VR: designing a virtual reality experience for a museum. In: Proceedings of the 2018 Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS ‘18), pp.805–815. Association for Computing Machinery, New York (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  30. D’Agnano, F., Balletti, C., Guerra, F., Vernier, P.: Tooteko: a case study of augmented reality for an accessible cultural heritage. Digitization, 3D printing and sensors for an audio-tactile experience. Int. Arch. Photogrammetry, Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci. 40(5), 207–213 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Scianna, A., Gaglio, G.F., La Guardia, M.: Augmented reality for cultural heritage: the rebirth of a historical square. Int. Arch. Photogrammetry, Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci. XLII-2/W17, 303–308 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Di Serio, Á., Ibáñez, M.B., Kloos, C.D.: Impact of an augmented reality system on students’ motivation for a visual art course. Comput. Educ. 68, 585–596 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. González Vargas, J.C., Fabregat, R., Carrillo-Ramos, A., Jové, T.: Survey: using augmented reality to improve learning motivation in cultural heritage studies. Appl. Sci. 10, 897 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Guedes, L.S., Marques, L.A., Vitório, G: Enhancing interaction and accessibility in museums and exhibitions with augmented reality and screen readers. In: Miesenberger, K., Manduchi, R., Covarrubias Rodriguez, M., Peňáz, P. (eds.) Computers Helping People with Special Needs. ICCHP 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 12376, pp. 157–163. Springer, Cham (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Ardito, C., Buono, P., Costabile, M. F., Lanzilotti, R., Pederson, T.: Re-experiencing history in archaeological parks by playing a mobile augmented reality game. In: Proceedings on the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems, 9, pp. 357–366. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Kyriakou, P., Hermon, S.: Can I touch this? Using natural interaction in a museum augmented reality system. Digital Appl. Archaeol. Cult. Heritage 12, e00088 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Partarakis, N., Klironomos, I., Antona, M., Margetis, G., Grammenos, D., Stephanidis, C.: Accessibility of cultural heritage exhibits. In: Antona, M., Stephanidis, C. (eds.) Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Interaction Techniques and Environments, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 9738, pp. 444–55. Springer, Cham (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Sheehy, K., Garcia-Carrizosa, H., Rix, J., Seale, J., Hayhoe, S.: Inclusive museums and augmented reality: affordances, participation, ethics, and fun. Int. J. Inclusive Museum 12(4), 67–85 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Katz, B.F.G., Dramas, F., Parseihian, G., Gutierrez, O., Kammoun, S., Brilhault, A., Brunet, L., Gallay, M., Oriola, B., Auvray, M., Truillet, P., Denis, M., Thorpe, S., Christophe, J.: NAVIG: guidance system for the visually impaired using virtual augmented reality. Technol. Disabil. 24(2), 163–178 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Dramas, F., Oriola, B., Katz, B.F.G., Thorpe, S.J., Jouffrais, C.: Designing an assistive device for the blind based on object localization and augmented auditory reality. In: Harper, S., Barreto, A. (eds.) Proceedings of the 10th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility Assets 08, pp. 263–64. ACM, New York (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Machidon, O.M., Duguleanab, M., Carrozzino, M.: Virtual humans in cultural heritage ICT applications: a review. J. Cult. Herit. 33, 249–260 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Marconcini, S., Pracchi, V.: Inclusive cultural heritage sites: ICT as a tool to support the design process and share knowledge. Int. Arch. Photogrammetry, Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci. XLII-2/W11, 793–800 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Bilotto, R. (2019). Le nuove tecnologie multimediali nel settore culturale: il loro impatto sulla fruizione e sull’esperienza dei visitatori. https://www.archeomedia.net/renato-bilotto-le-nuove-tecnologie-multimediali-nel-settore-culturale-il-loro-impatto-sulla-fruizione-e-sullesperienza-dei-visitatori/. Accessed 12 Feb 2023

  44. Rizvic, S., Okanovic, V., Boskovic, D.: Digital Storytelling. In: Liarokapis, F., Voulodimos, A., Doulamis, N., Doulamis, A. (eds.) Visual Computing for Cultural Heritage. Springer Series on Cultural Computing, pp. 347–367. Springer, Cham (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  45. Rzayev, R., Karaman, G., Henze, N., Schwind, V.: Fostering virtual guide in exhibitions. In: Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI ‘19), 48, pp. 1–6. Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  46. Quintanilla Rhie, S.: History of early stone sculpture at Mathura, ca. 150 BCE-100 CE. Studies in Asian Art and Archaeology. Brill, Leiden (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  47. Falk, H. (ed.): Kushan histories. Literary Sources and Selected Papers from a Symposium at Berlin, December 5 to 7, 2013. Monographien Zur Indischen Archaologie, Kunst Und Philologie. Hempen Verlag, Berlin (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  48. Rhi, H.: From bodhisattva to Buddha: the beginning of iconic representation in Buddhist art. Artibus. Asiae. 54(3–4), 207–225 (1994)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Kimbell Art Museum Homepage. https://kimbellart.org/collection/ap-198606. Accessed 07 Feb 2023

  50. Kim, H.: The Story of a painting: A Korean Buddhist Treasure from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation. Asia Society Museum, New York (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  51. Vogel, J.P.: Catalogue of the Archaeological Museum at Mathura. Government of United Provinces, Allahabad (1910)

    Google Scholar 

  52. Myer, P.R.: Bodhisattvas and Buddhas: early Buddhist images from Mathurā. Artibus Asiae 47(2), 107–142 (1986)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Fussman, G.: Documents épigraphiques kouchans (V). Buddha et Bodhisattva dans l’art de Mathura: deux Bodhisattvas inscrits de l’an 4 et l’an 8. Bulletin de l’Ecole française d’Extrême-Orient 77, 5–26 (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  54. Huntington Archive, Buddha of Mathura. https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/huntington/show_detail.py?ObjectID=30000392. Accessed 07 Feb 2023

  55. Smithsonian Institution, Buddha of Mathura. https://www.si.edu/search/collection-images?edan_local=&edan_q=buddha%2Bmathura&. Accessed 07 Feb 2023

  56. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Buddha of Mathura. https://www.metmuseum.org/search-results?q=buddha+of+mathura. Accessed 07 Feb 2023

  57. Spallone, R., Lamberti, F., Olivieri, L.M., Ronco, F., Castagna, L.: AR and VR for enhancing museums’ heritage through 3D reconstruction of fragmented statue and architectural context. In: International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLVI-2/W1–2022, pp. 473–480 (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  58. The London Charter for the Computer-Based Visualisation of Cultural Heritage, Draft 2.1, 7 February 2009. http://www.londoncharter.org/. Accessed 15 Oct 2022

  59. Principles of Sevilla, 2012. http://smartheritage.com/sevilleprinciples/seville-principles. Accessed 15 Oct 2022

  60. Brusaporci, S.: The importance of being honest: issues of transparency in digital visualization of architectural heritage. In: Ippolito, A. (ed.) Handbook of Research on Emerging Technologies for Architectural and Archaeological Heritage, pp. 66–93. IGI Global, Hershey (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  61. Pietroni, E., Ferdani, D.: Virtual restoration and virtual reconstruction in cultural heritage: terminology, methodologies, visual representation techniques and cognitive models. Information 12(167), 1–30 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  62. Schäfer, U.U.: Uncertainty visualization and digital 3D modeling in archaeology. A brief introduction. DAH J. 3, 87–106 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  63. VIGIE-2020-654. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/study-quality-3d-digitisa¬tion-tangible-cultural-heritage. Accessed 15 Oct 2022

Download references

Acknowledgements

Despite this publication is the result of collaborative research, F. Lamberti wrote par. 2; F. Ronco parr. 3, 4; L. M. Olivieri par. 5; R. Spallone par. 6; L. Lombardi par. 7; the authors wrote together paragraphs 1 and 8.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Roberta Spallone, Francesca Ronco & Luca Lombardi

  2. Department of Control and Computer Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Fabrizio Lamberti

  3. Department of Asian and North African Studies, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy

    Luca Maria Olivieri

Authors
  1. Roberta Spallone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fabrizio Lamberti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Luca Maria Olivieri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Francesca Ronco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Luca Lombardi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberta Spallone .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. DICEA, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy

    Andrea Giordano

  2. DSDRA, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy

    Michele Russo

  3. DAD, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy

    Roberta Spallone

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Spallone, R., Lamberti, F., Olivieri, L.M., Ronco, F., Lombardi, L. (2024). Augmented Reality and Avatars for Museum Heritage Storytelling. In: Giordano, A., Russo, M., Spallone, R. (eds) Beyond Digital Representation. Digital Innovations in Architecture, Engineering and Construction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36155-5_16

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36155-5_16

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-36154-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-36155-5

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation