Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations
In recent years, virtual reality (VR) is at its maturity level for real practical exercises amongst many fields of studies, especially in the virtual walkthrough exploration system of cultural heritage (CH). However, this study remains scattered and limited. This work presents a systematic review th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Electronics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/12/1430 |
| _version_ | 1797530222569979904 |
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| author | Hwei Teeng Chong Chen Kim Lim Minhaz Farid Ahmed Kian Lam Tan Mazlin Bin Mokhtar |
| author_facet | Hwei Teeng Chong Chen Kim Lim Minhaz Farid Ahmed Kian Lam Tan Mazlin Bin Mokhtar |
| author_sort | Hwei Teeng Chong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, virtual reality (VR) is at its maturity level for real practical exercises amongst many fields of studies, especially in the virtual walkthrough exploration system of cultural heritage (CH). However, this study remains scattered and limited. This work presents a systematic review that maps out the usability and accessibility issues that are challenging in using VR in CH. We identified 45 challenges that are mapped into five problem groups: system design, development process, technology, assessment process and knowledge transfer. This mapping is then used to propose 58 recommendations to improve the usability and accessibility of VR in CH that are categorized in three different recommendation groups namely, discovery and planning, design and development, and finally the assessment factors. This analysis identified the persistence in certain accessibility and usability problems such as there is a limit in navigating the view and space that constraint the users’ free movement and the navigation control is not ideal with the keyboard arrow button. This work is important because it provides an overview of usability and accessibility based challenges that are faced in applying, developing, deploying and assessing VR in the usage of digitalizing CH and proposed a great number of constructive recommendations to guide future studies. The main contribution of this paper is the mapping of usability and accessibility challenges into categories and the development of recommendations based on the identified problems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:25:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fc741dfd72fa42f19baffcd3986bcc7f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-9292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:25:57Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Electronics |
| spelling | doaj.art-fc741dfd72fa42f19baffcd3986bcc7f2023-11-22T00:03:21ZengMDPI AGElectronics2079-92922021-06-011012143010.3390/electronics10121430Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and RecommendationsHwei Teeng Chong0Chen Kim Lim1Minhaz Farid Ahmed2Kian Lam Tan3Mazlin Bin Mokhtar4Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, MalaysiaInstitute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, MalaysiaInstitute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, MalaysiaSchool of Digital Technology, Wawasan Open University (WOU), 54, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, George Town 10050, Penang, MalaysiaInstitute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, MalaysiaIn recent years, virtual reality (VR) is at its maturity level for real practical exercises amongst many fields of studies, especially in the virtual walkthrough exploration system of cultural heritage (CH). However, this study remains scattered and limited. This work presents a systematic review that maps out the usability and accessibility issues that are challenging in using VR in CH. We identified 45 challenges that are mapped into five problem groups: system design, development process, technology, assessment process and knowledge transfer. This mapping is then used to propose 58 recommendations to improve the usability and accessibility of VR in CH that are categorized in three different recommendation groups namely, discovery and planning, design and development, and finally the assessment factors. This analysis identified the persistence in certain accessibility and usability problems such as there is a limit in navigating the view and space that constraint the users’ free movement and the navigation control is not ideal with the keyboard arrow button. This work is important because it provides an overview of usability and accessibility based challenges that are faced in applying, developing, deploying and assessing VR in the usage of digitalizing CH and proposed a great number of constructive recommendations to guide future studies. The main contribution of this paper is the mapping of usability and accessibility challenges into categories and the development of recommendations based on the identified problems.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/12/1430usability (UB)accessibilityuser experience (UX)virtual reality (VR)cultural heritage (CH) |
| spellingShingle | Hwei Teeng Chong Chen Kim Lim Minhaz Farid Ahmed Kian Lam Tan Mazlin Bin Mokhtar Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations Electronics usability (UB) accessibility user experience (UX) virtual reality (VR) cultural heritage (CH) |
| title | Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations |
| title_full | Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations |
| title_fullStr | Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations |
| title_short | Virtual Reality Usability and Accessibility for Cultural Heritage Practices: Challenges Mapping and Recommendations |
| title_sort | virtual reality usability and accessibility for cultural heritage practices challenges mapping and recommendations |
| topic | usability (UB) accessibility user experience (UX) virtual reality (VR) cultural heritage (CH) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9292/10/12/1430 |
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