Virtual Reality for Cultural Heritage: emotional involvement and Design for all

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) is emerging as a powerful tool in the cultural heritage sector, offering unprecedented opportunities for integration and accessibility. Applying the principles of "design for all" in VR is critical to unlocking these opportunities while addressing the associated challenges to ensure that these digital experiences are democratic and accessible to all. At its core, VR technology provides an immersive way to experience existing and lost or inaccessible sites, for various reasons such as conflict, environmental hazards or simply the ravages of time. VR democratizes access to these experiences and overcomes physical, economic and geographic barriers. This not only promotes cultural understanding and appreciation, but also bridges the gap between different cultures and histories. However, the integration of VR into cultural heritage is not without its challenges. The digital divide and the specific needs of different user groups, including older people and people with disabilities, present significant barriers. There is a need to design VR experiences that are not only technologically advanced but also cater to the different abilities and needs of users. This includes considering different sensory modalities for input and output (visual, auditory, haptic) and creating interfaces that are intuitive and adaptable. Features such as customizable user interfaces and navigation metaphors, personalized auditory explanations and varying degrees of complexity are designed to meet the different needs and preferences of different target groups. This ensures that VR experiences are not only visually appealing, but also suitable for users with different abilities. Improving accessibility and inclusivity also serves as a foundation for deeper exploration of emotional engagement in virtual heritage. The immersive cultural experience in VR goes beyond mere playfulness. It has the potential to evoke profound cultural and emotional responses. In particular, this paper explores how VR can engage users emotionally so that a visit to a virtual heritage site is as enriching and engaging as a visit to a real site. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how all users interact emotionally with virtual environments, as this is key to designing empathic VR experiences. Ongoing research into measuring the body's emotional responses in VR environments is a cornerstone of this work. This paper explores these aspects to contribute to the development of VR experiences that are not only technologically advanced, but also emotionally engaging and accessible to a wide range of users. In this way, the role of VR in the field of cultural heritage can be strengthened, becoming not only a tool for education, but also for empathy and cultural exchange.