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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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The effect of designed dramatic interaction on mobile virtual reality usability

Translated title

Effekten af designet dramatisk interaktion på mobil virtual reality brugervenlighed

Authors

;

Term

4. term

Education

Publication year

2018

Submitted on

Pages

34

Abstract

Formidling af kulturarv er i udvikling, og museer viser stor interesse for nye teknologier som led i en modernisering. Mange kulturarvssteder og udstillinger er svære at vise fyldestgørende, enten fordi der mangler originale genstande, eller fordi det er svært eller dyrt at præsentere dem i den rette sammenhæng. Fysiske og digitale modeller bruges ofte. Virtual reality (VR) kan informere og engagere museumsbesøgende på måder, der ellers ikke er mulige. Samtidig er en stor del af publikum ældre med mulige funktionsnedsættelser og mindre teknologisk erfaring, så løsninger skal designes med deres behov for øje. Dette projekt beskriver udvikling og evaluering af et mobil-VR-system, der visualiserer en gammel keltisk jernalderfæstning. Der blev skabt to varianter: 1) en fortællende, dramatisk interaktion med en virtuel ledsager, der guider brugeren og inviterer til handling, og 2) en mere traditionel point-and-click-opsætning med en markør, som styres ved at bevæge hovedet. Systemet blev udviklet i samarbejde med Vesthimmerlands Museum og afprøvet af 22 seniorer, som repræsenterer typiske museumsbesøgende. Gennem observationer, spørgeskemaer og logdata fra telefonerne blev brugbarhed og personlige præferencer undersøgt. Evalueringen viste ingen statistisk signifikant forskel i brugbarhed mellem de to varianter. Der var derimod en statistisk signifikant præference for varianten med dramatisk interaktion.

Sharing cultural heritage with the public is evolving, and museums are keen to use new technologies as part of their modernization. Many heritage sites and exhibits are hard to represent well, either because there are few original objects to show or because presenting them in context is difficult or expensive. Physical and digital models are common tools. Virtual reality (VR) can inform and engage museum visitors in ways that are otherwise not possible. At the same time, many visitors are seniors who may have impairments and less experience with technology, so solutions must be designed with their needs in mind. This project describes the development and evaluation of a mobile VR system that visualizes an old Celtic Iron Age fortress. Two versions were built: 1) a dramatic, story-like interaction with a virtual companion who guides the user and prompts interaction, and 2) a more traditional point-and-click setup with a cursor controlled by head movement. Developed in collaboration with Vesthimmerlands Museum, the system was tested by 22 seniors representing typical museum visitors. Using observations, questionnaires, and log data from the phones, we examined usability and personal preferences. The evaluation found no statistically significant difference in usability between the versions. However, there was a statistically significant preference for the dramatic interaction version.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]