ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum

The design of a virtual reality (VR) cultural application is aimed at supporting the steps of the learning process-like concrete experimentation, reflection and abstraction—which are generally difficult to induce when looking at ruins and artifacts that bring back to the past. With the use of virtua...

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Main Authors: Alfonsina Pagano, Augusto Palombini, Guido Bozzelli, Maurizio De Nino, Ivana Cerato, Stefano Ricciardi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-05-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/9/3182
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author Alfonsina Pagano
Augusto Palombini
Guido Bozzelli
Maurizio De Nino
Ivana Cerato
Stefano Ricciardi
author_facet Alfonsina Pagano
Augusto Palombini
Guido Bozzelli
Maurizio De Nino
Ivana Cerato
Stefano Ricciardi
author_sort Alfonsina Pagano
collection DOAJ
description The design of a virtual reality (VR) cultural application is aimed at supporting the steps of the learning process-like concrete experimentation, reflection and abstraction—which are generally difficult to induce when looking at ruins and artifacts that bring back to the past. With the use of virtual technologies (e.g., holographic surfaces, head-mounted displays, motion—cation sensors) those steps are surely supported thanks to the immersiveness and natural interaction granted by such devices. VR can indeed help to symbolically recreate the context of life of cultural objects, presenting them in their original place of belonging, while they were used for example, increasing awareness and understanding of history. The ArkaeVision VR application takes advantages of storytelling and user experience design to tell the story of artifacts and sites of an important cultural heritage site of Italy, Paestum, creating a dramaturgy around them and relying upon historical and artistic content revised by experts. Visitors will virtually travel into the temple dedicated to Hera II of Paestum, in the first half of the fifth century BC, wearing an immersive viewer–HTC Vive; here, they will interact with the priestess Ariadne, a digital actor, who will guide them on a virtual tour presenting the beliefs, the values and habits of an ancient population of the Magna Graecia city. In the immersive VR application, the memory is indeed influenced by the visitors’ ability to proceed with the exploratory activity. Two evaluation sessions were planned and conducted to understand the effectiveness of the immersive experience, usability of the virtual device and the learnability of the digital storytelling. Results revealed that certainly the realism of the virtual reconstructions, the atmosphere and the “sense of the past” that pervades the whole VR cultural experience, characterize the positive feedback of visitors, their emotional engagement and their interest to proceed with the exploration.
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spelling doaj.art-2b65a2624137409aa0c84f5a5e4208d92023-11-19T23:21:49ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-05-01109318210.3390/app10093182ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual PaestumAlfonsina Pagano0Augusto Palombini1Guido Bozzelli2Maurizio De Nino3Ivana Cerato4Stefano Ricciardi5CNR ISPC, Via Salaria km 29,300-CP.10, 00015 Rome, ItalyCNR ISPC, Via Salaria km 29,300-CP.10, 00015 Rome, ItalyDigitalcomoedia, Piazza Capuana, 15, Via dei Mille, 16, 80139 Naples, ItalyDigitalcomoedia, Piazza Capuana, 15, Via dei Mille, 16, 80139 Naples, ItalyDigitalcomoedia, Piazza Capuana, 15, Via dei Mille, 16, 80139 Naples, ItalyUniversity of Molise (Dip. Biosciences and Territories), Via Francesco De Sanctis, 1, 86100 Campobasso, ItalyThe design of a virtual reality (VR) cultural application is aimed at supporting the steps of the learning process-like concrete experimentation, reflection and abstraction—which are generally difficult to induce when looking at ruins and artifacts that bring back to the past. With the use of virtual technologies (e.g., holographic surfaces, head-mounted displays, motion—cation sensors) those steps are surely supported thanks to the immersiveness and natural interaction granted by such devices. VR can indeed help to symbolically recreate the context of life of cultural objects, presenting them in their original place of belonging, while they were used for example, increasing awareness and understanding of history. The ArkaeVision VR application takes advantages of storytelling and user experience design to tell the story of artifacts and sites of an important cultural heritage site of Italy, Paestum, creating a dramaturgy around them and relying upon historical and artistic content revised by experts. Visitors will virtually travel into the temple dedicated to Hera II of Paestum, in the first half of the fifth century BC, wearing an immersive viewer–HTC Vive; here, they will interact with the priestess Ariadne, a digital actor, who will guide them on a virtual tour presenting the beliefs, the values and habits of an ancient population of the Magna Graecia city. In the immersive VR application, the memory is indeed influenced by the visitors’ ability to proceed with the exploratory activity. Two evaluation sessions were planned and conducted to understand the effectiveness of the immersive experience, usability of the virtual device and the learnability of the digital storytelling. Results revealed that certainly the realism of the virtual reconstructions, the atmosphere and the “sense of the past” that pervades the whole VR cultural experience, characterize the positive feedback of visitors, their emotional engagement and their interest to proceed with the exploration.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/9/3182VR game3D reconstructionstorytelling3D models aesthetics accuracyuser experience designuser evaluation
spellingShingle Alfonsina Pagano
Augusto Palombini
Guido Bozzelli
Maurizio De Nino
Ivana Cerato
Stefano Ricciardi
ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum
Applied Sciences
VR game
3D reconstruction
storytelling
3D models aesthetics accuracy
user experience design
user evaluation
title ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum
title_full ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum
title_fullStr ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum
title_full_unstemmed ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum
title_short ArkaeVision VR Game: User Experience Research between Real and Virtual Paestum
title_sort arkaevision vr game user experience research between real and virtual paestum
topic VR game
3D reconstruction
storytelling
3D models aesthetics accuracy
user experience design
user evaluation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/9/3182
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