Augmented Reality (AR) for Urban Cultural Heritage Interpretation: A User Experience Evaluation

Abstract

Heritage interpretation plays a vital role in understanding and perceiving heritage values. This research investigates the role of Augmented Reality (AR) in the heritage interpretation process through conducting a pilot AR study in historic Jeddah by simulating the old images of existing buildings through an interactive augmentation in an instantaneous mobile. The study measures the users’ experience in five aspects: Informative, Interactive & enjoyable, Realistic & intuitive, Convenience, and Memorable, which have been addressed in the literature to describe AR’s influence on visitors’ experience in cultural heritage sites. The study verifies the links between heritage sites' interpretation and visitor experience. It also proposes five factors leading to an enhanced visitor experience through the employment of AR in cultural heritage sites. To verify the viability of the AR model in the interpretation of cultural heritage values and the overall visitor experience, a survey was conducted among a group of local visitors and foreign tourists. The survey's analysis helps trace the reactions and responses to using AR interpretation in a specific cultural context like Saudi Arabia. It confirms the acceptance of the visitors and tourists of the AR interpretation model in simulating lost physical urban memory and confirms that implementing AR in cultural heritage interpretation contributes positively to the overall experience and interaction of the heritage site visitors.