Evaluation of spatial interaction techniques for virtual heritage applications: a case study of an interactive holographic projection

The increasing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in museums is providing curators with new opportunities for the display of cultural heritage content, making it possible to merge real and digital works of art in a coherent exhibition space. However, humans learn and perceive by following an interactive process, a fact that is particularly true in relation to the understanding, analysis and interpretation of the cultural heritage. In order to allow visitors to fully exploit the potential of this new hybrid cultural communication, interactivity is essential. This paper analyzes interaction design focusing on a holographic projection system equipped with a gesture-based interface and discussing the results of both quantitative and qualitative user studies aimed at empirically investigating users’ preferences in relation to interaction techniques when used in a museum context. The experimental findings suggest the adoption of task-specific patterns in the design of touchless user interfaces for the exploration of digital heritage content.