Developing effective interfaces for cultural heritage 3D immersive environments

Abstract

Although the advantages of the use of 3D Immersive Virtual Environments for the presentation and communica- tion ofCultural Heritage have been demonstrated, the user inteifaces and interaction techniques (in software and hardware) that are best suited have not yet been completely identified and deployed. This paper describes research conductedfor developing and studying the usability of a historical town 3D Virtual Tour. For this, usability methods combined with head-eyetracking technology were used to explore the suitability ofthese inteifaces. The paper also reflects on issues raised during the design ofthe testing systemfor this experience. It is expected the results of this research will contribute towards developing effective interfaces for 3D immersive technologies as well as building a repository of lessons leamed from evaluation.