Augmented reality and serious game to engage the alpha generation in urban cultural heritage

Abstract

It is important to involve young people in the conservation of urban heritage as they will be the next generation responsible for its preservation. The use of Augmented Reality (AR) based on Serious Game (SG) and GPS-guided applications has proven to be effective for heritage revitalisation. However, there are currently only a few applications that combine GPS AR and SG for urban heritage enhancement, and these are generally aimed at adult tourists rather than the young people of the alpha generation. This research describes a serious game based on the use of GPS-guided augmented reality in the Renaissance village of Caldana, Italy, to raise awareness of the importance of urban heritage and to stimulate its visit by the alpha generation. The application consists of a treasure hunt that children have to solve by meeting and listening in augmented reality to historical characters who built the Renaissance village at specific points of interest, following a route with increasing levels of difficulty. The application was tested using a questionnaire with a sample of 79 children. The results provide useful indications for the development of augmented reality applications to increase the awareness and attitudes of the alpha generation towards knowledge and conservation of urban heritage.