Using a Dance Pad to Navigate through the Virtual Heritage Environment of Macquarie Lighthouse, Sydney

Abstract

In this paper we look at the potential of a novel navigational interface, a dance pad, to allow users to intuitively explore a virtual heritage environment. An immersive Virtual Reality environment has been created to learn about the historical background of the Macquarie lighthouse in Sydney, Australia. Using the dance pad technology, we hoped to allow the users to literally step back in time and walk around the environment in whichever direction they chose. This paper introduces the Macquarie Lighthouse virtual heritage environment and the dance pad technology and describes its usage for navigation. We discuss the outcomes of a pilot study and note a number of current limitations of the technology. Future research directions in the field of intuitive Human-Computer-Interaction devices in virtual heritage projects are also presented.