Search Results (19)

Recent advancements in Mobile Eye-Tracking (MET) technology have enabled the detailed examination of visitors’ embodied visual behaviors as they navigate exhibition spaces. This study employs MET to investigate visual attention patterns in an archeological museum, with a particular focus on identifying “hotspots” of attention. Through a multi-phase research design, we explore the relationship between visitor gaze behavior and museum learning experiences in a real-world setting. Using three key eye movement metrics—Time to First Fixation (TFF), Average Fixation Duration (AFD), and Total Fixation Duration (TFD), we analyze the distribution of visual attention across predefined Areas of Interest (AOIs). Time to First Fixation varied substantially by element, occurring most rapidly for artifacts and most slowly for labels, while video screens showed the shortest mean latency but greatest inter-individual variability, reflecting sequential exploration and heterogeneous strategies toward dynamic versus static media. Total Fixation Duration was highest for video screens and picture panels, intermediate yet variable for artifacts and text panels, and lowest for labels, indicating that dynamic and pictorial content most effectively sustain attention. Finally, Average Fixation Duration peaked on artifacts and labels, suggesting in-depth processing of descriptive elements, and it was shortest on video screens, consistent with rapid, distributed fixations in response to dynamic media. The results provide novel insights into the spatial and contextual factors that influence visitor engagement and knowledge acquisition in museum environments. Based on these findings, we discuss strategic implications for museum research and propose practical recommendations for optimizing exhibition design to enhance visitor experience and learning outcomes. Full article

Art exhibition spaces increasingly emphasize visitor experience, yet the relationships among spatial structure, visitor behavior, and emotional response remain unclear. Traditional space syntax analyses typically focus on physical spatial structures, insufficiently capturing visitors’ emotional and cognitive experiences. To address these gaps, this study presents an integrative evaluation framework that combines space syntax theory with multimodal physiological measurements to systematically assess spatial design performance in art exhibition environments. Eye-tracking and heart rate variability (HRV) experiments were conducted to investigate how spatial configuration affects visual attention and emotional responses. Visibility graph analysis, spatial integration metrics, and regression modeling were applied using the third-floor temporary exhibition hall of the Pudong Art Museum in Shanghai as a case study. The results revealed that HRV levels (β = −7.92) were significantly predicted via spatial integration, and the relationship between spatial integration and the number of fixations was partially mediated by HRV (indirect effect: β = −0.36; direct effect: β = 8.23). Additionally, zones with higher occlusivity were associated with more complex scanpaths (mean complexity: 0.14), whereas highly integrated regions triggered more fixations (mean = 10.54) and longer total fixation durations (mean = 2946.98 ms). Therefore, spatial syntax, when coupled with physiological indicators, provides a robust and actionable method for evaluating and optimizing exhibition space design. Full article

This paper examines the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and neuroaesthetic methodologies in archaeology, museum collections and art history. It introduces the concept of the AI multiverse, which allows archaeologists and social scientists to construct multiple plausible reconstructions of ancient environments and cultural practices, addressing the inherent uncertainties in archaeological data. Generative AI tools create simulations and visualizations that redefine traditional archaeological frameworks by incorporating multivocal and dynamic interpretations. The study also integrates visual thinking strategies (VTSs), eye tracking and saliency map analyses to investigate how structured observation enhances cognitive and emotional engagement with visual artifacts. A case study involving the painting My Mother, She Fell From the Sky highlights the impact of VTS on guiding viewers’ gaze and improving interpretive depth, as evidenced by heatmaps and saliency distribution. Full article

The technological leap in the digital age has triggered a higher demand for emotional experiences. Since vision has long been recognized as the most important source of information for people to perceive the city, the visual characteristics of the urban built environment have an important impact on the emotional experience it creates. This study takes the facades and external environments of the representative urban public building category, museums, as the research objects, to explore how different types of built environment elements that make up the museum’s facade and surrounding environment affect the people’s emotional experience by affecting the urban visual quality. Tobii Pro Fusion devices and emotion scales are used for the collection of multimodal data. A total of 298 participants aged between 20 and 25 were recruited to participate in the experiment voluntarily and 229 valid data were finally obtained. The results show that different types of museum facades and external environmental elements have different effects on visual quality and people’s emotional experience: (1) Interactive elements show the most significant impact on visual quality and emotional experience. (2) The impact of artificial elements on visual quality is related to their size and spatial composition on the museum facade. When artificial elements have uniqueness, regionality, and symbolism associated with the museum, they are more likely to trigger people’s emotional experiences. (3) Visual quality is significantly correlated with people’s emotional experience through both preconscious and conscious emotional cognition. The results reveal the impact of different types and characteristics of built environment elements on the visual quality of the urban environment and proves the important role of visual quality in students’ emotional experience, further illustrating that designing and creating a good visual environment is conducive to promoting a humanistic urban environment. Meanwhile, this study also promotes a method of urban visual quality research and evaluation from an emotional perspective, providing a more scientific and objective way for the intervention of “emotions” in built environment research. Full article

This research project is aimed at exploring the cognitive and emotional processes involved in perceiving Etruscan artifacts. The case study is the Sarcophagus of the Spouses at the National Etruscan Museum in Rome, one of the most important masterpieces in pre-Roman art. The study utilized AI and eye-tracking technology to analyze how viewers engaged with the Etruscan Sarcophagus of the Spouses, revealing key patterns of visual attention and engagement. OpenAI, ChatGPT-4 (accessed on 12 October 2024) was used in conjunction with Colab–Python in order to elaborate all the spreadsheets and data arising from the eye-tracking recording. The results showed that viewers primarily focused on the central figures, especially on their faces and hands, indicating a high level of interest in the human elements of the artifact. The longer fixation duration on these features suggest that viewers find them particularly engaging, which is likely due to their detailed craftsmanship and symbolic significance. The eye-tracking data also highlighted specific gaze patterns, such as diagonal scanning across the sarcophagus, which reflects the composition’s ability to guide viewer attention strategically. The results indicate that viewer focus centers on human elements, especially on faces and hands, suggesting that these features hold both esthetic and symbolic significance. Full article

Exhibition design in museum space is of great significance in enhancing cultural attraction, visitor experience, and heritage conservation. With the growth of spiritual and cultural needs, the construction of museums has increased, but the quality of exhibitions has been improved to a limited extent. In order to explore visitors’ perceptual experience in terms of display forms, this paper combines eye-tracking technology and subjective evaluation to select three display forms, namely, stand-alone display form, combined picture and object form, and combined 3D object and physical form, for the research. Combining field research, eye-tracking experiments, and subjective questionnaire evaluations, this study explores the relationship between visual perception and emotional experience in different display formats. The results showed that (1) the effects of different display formats differed between visual perception and emotional experience, and (2) there is some correlation between visual perception and emotional experience. Specifically, the number of fixations sessions was negatively correlated with fun, richness, comfort, and attractiveness and positively correlated with authenticity, while the average fixation time was positively correlated with the former and negatively correlated with authenticity. Combining the two dimensions, the study concluded that visitors’ experience satisfaction and preference are high in response to the form combining 3D objects and physical objects; the exhibition form of combining pictures and physical objects produces a higher degree of cognition in a short period of time; and the stand-alone display form has the lowest degree of preference, with poor information retention among visitors. It is hoped that this study will provide some reference for the use of exhibition forms in historical museums. Full article

A scientific method for evaluating the design of interfaces is proposed to address the unique characteristics and user needs of infrequent-contact public service interfaces. This method is significant for enhancing service efficiency and promoting the sustainable development of public services. Current interface evaluation methods are limited in scope and often fail to meet actual user needs. To address this, this study focuses on virtual museums, examining users’ aesthetic psychology and cognitive behavior in terms of layout aesthetics and visual cognitive characteristics, aiming to explore the relationship between the two. Interface layout aesthetic values and user visual cognitive measurements were obtained by using computational aesthetics methods and eye-tracking experiments. These served as input data for a new model. An improved gray H-convex correlation model utilizing the ICRITIC method is proposed to examine the mapping relationship between interface layout aesthetics and visual cognitive features. The results demonstrate that our new model achieves over 90% accuracy, outperforming existing models. For virtual museum interfaces, symmetry and dominance significantly influence user visual cognition, with the most notable correlations found between density and gaze shift frequency, simplicity and mean pupil diameter, and order and gaze shift frequency. Additionally, fixation duration, fixation count, and mean pupil diameter were inversely correlated with interface layout aesthetics, whereas gaze shift frequency and gaze time percentage were positively correlated. Full article

Eye tracking technology is now mature enough to be exploited in various areas of human–computer interaction. In this paper, we consider the use of gaze-based communication in museums and exhibitions, to make the visitor experience more engaging and attractive. While immersive and interactive technologies are now relatively widespread in museums, the use of gaze interaction is still in its infancy—despite the benefits it could provide, for example, to visitors with motor disabilities. Apart from some pioneering early works, only the last few years have seen an increase in gaze-based museum applications. This literature review aims to discuss the state of the art on this topic, highlighting advantages, limitations and current and future trends. Full article

In 1964 the Venice Charter described anastylosis as the only acceptable method of reassembly of architectural remains. Although the scientific community has agreed with the Charter’s decision, many questions pertaining to the technical and aesthetic aspects of anastylosis remain unanswered. Virtual anastylosis seems one of the most promising digital solutions to finding at least some answers, as it permits testing various solutions before carrying out the actual physical re-erection of a damaged monument. Studying such variants with eye-trackers allows the participation of non-professional viewers at the very beginning of the process, that is at the design stage. By understanding how ordinary people look at different reconstructions, professionals and scholars can determine which elements would assist and which would hinder the instinctive assessment of the object’s value and history. This study compares perceptions of three variants of the same column. A total of 232 people were divided into three groups and asked to examine different types of anastyloses: with an empty cavity, with a cavity filled with a brighter stone, and with a cavity filled with a stone of the same color and texture as the rest of the column. Their perception of the columns was then analyzed using several parameters, including the number of fixations, the time spent looking at individual elements, and the chronological order in which the parts of the stimuli was taken in. This paper explores the benefits and the potential of this new research tool as well as offers a more detailed look at what a viewer-friendly model of anastylosis may be like. Full article

High-profile projects promoted by governments, local municipalities, and the media do not always meet program requirements or user expectations. The Riverside Museum in Glasgow by Zaha Hadid Architects, which has generated significant discussion in the media, is used to test this claim. A multimodal inquiry adopts three factors: criticism, performance evaluation, and habitability. Results from this method are then correlated with visual attention scans using software from 3M Corporation to map unconscious user engagement. A wide spectrum of tools is employed, including a walking tour assessment procedure, contemplation of selected settings, navigational mapping, and assessing user emotional experiences. Key aspects of the design and spatial qualities of this museum are compared with an analysis of critical writings on how the project was portrayed in the media. Further, we examine socio-spatial practices, selected behavioral phenomena, and the emotional experiences that ensue from users’ interaction with the building and its immediate context. The findings suggest design shortcomings and, more worrisome, that spatial qualities relevant to users’ experiences do not seem to have been met. In going beyond the usual method of analysis, we apply new techniques of eye-tracking simulations, which verify results obtained by more traditional means. An in-depth analysis suggests the need for better compatibility between the imagined design ideas and the actual spatial environments in use. Full article

Because of the increase in green lighting in recent years, scholars have been trying to find more comfortable lighting methods in various fields to meet people’s lighting needs. In previous studies, we found that most museum lighting was conducted in the form of subjective questionnaires, but in this study, we tried to introduce a new way to explore the impact of the lighting environment on comfort, namely eye tracking technology. This paper aims to explore the influences when viewing paintings in cold, warm, and middle tones under illumination of 50 lx, 150 lx, and 300 lx, respectively, on the visual comfort of viewers, and the use visual fatigue as the evaluation index to find the most appropriate illumination value for different painting systems in the art museum. By collecting eye movement data under different illuminance and color combination of different paintings and subjective evaluation from the subjects, this paper studies the impact of different illuminances and colors on the subjects’ visual fatigue. By considering the illumination intensity of the light environment and the tone of the painting, it can be found that the warm tone painting was more suitable for 150 lx, the cold tone painting was more suitable for 50 lx, and the middle tone painting was more suitable for 300 lx. Full article

Research on visual expertise has progressed significantly due to the availability of eye tracking tools. However, attempts to bring together research on expertise and eye tracking methodology provoke several challenges, because visual information processes should be studied in authentic and domain-specific environments. Among the barriers to designing appropriate research are the proper definition of levels of expertise, the tension between internal (experimental control) and external (authentic environments) validity, and the appropriate methodology to study eye movements in a three-dimensional environment. This exploratory study aims to address these challenges and to provide an adequate research setting by investigating visual expertise in sculpting. Eye movements and gaze patterns of 20 participants were investigated while looking at two sculptures in a museum. The participants were assigned to four different groups based on their level of expertise (laypersons, novices, semi-experts, experts). Using mobile eye tracking, the following parameters were measured: number of fixations, duration of fixation, dwell time in relevant areas, and revisits in relevant areas. Moreover, scan paths were analysed using the eyenalysis approach. Conclusions are drawn on both the nature of visual expertise in sculpting and the potential (and limitations) of empirical designs that aim to investigate expertise in authentic environments. Full article

The motivation of this study is that after the COVID-19 epidemic, museum exhibition visits have also been significantly affected. The purpose of this research is to better understand the visual cognition of visitors, so as to improve the application of physical field or online exhibitions. Currently, no research is available on the differences in the visitor’s viewing and cognitive process with eye movements sequence analysis that stem from the exhibition planning and design of different museums. This study tracks and analyzes the eye movement trajectories of visitors and studies its relation to learning and cognition and finds the key to influencing cognition through behavioral sequence analysis of displayed content. The results show that those interested in the displayed content have better cognitive performance, are immersed in reading text, and have a substantial shift in eye movement. Contrarily, those not interested in the displayed content are distracted and often turn their attention back to the title of the content. In this study, eye movement and fixation are indicators that can be used as a reference for the future design of displays to improve the effectiveness of presenting information to a visitor. Furthermore, this research can also provide future applications in integrating the virtual world and cognitive information, in the application of AR, VR, or metaverse environment, to provide people’s cognition of rapid information in the virtual environment. Full article

Cultural heritage is a challenging domain of application for novel interactive technologies, where varying aspects in the way that cultural assets are delivered play a major role in enhancing the visitor experience, either onsite or online. Technology-supported natural human–computer interaction that is based on multimodalities is a key factor in enabling wider and enriched access to cultural heritage assets. In this paper, we present the design and evaluation of an interactive system that aims to support visitors towards a better understanding of art contexts through the use of a multimodal interface, based on visual and audio interactions. The results of the evaluation study shed light on the dimensions of evoking natural interactions within cultural heritage environments, using micro-narratives for self-exploration and understanding of cultural content, and the intersection between human–computer interaction and artificial intelligence within cultural heritage. We expect our findings to provide useful insights for practitioners and researchers of the broad human–computer interaction and cultural heritage communities on designing and evaluating multimodal interfaces to better support visitor experiences. Full article

Eye tracking research in art viewership is often conducted in a laboratory setting where reproductions must be used in place of original art works and the viewing environment is less natural than in a museum. Recent technological developments have made museum studies possible but head-mounted eye tracking gear and interruptions by researchers still influence the experience of the viewer. In order to find a more ecologically valid way of recording eye movements while viewing artworks, we employed a prototype of a calibration-free remote eye tracker hidden below selected paintings at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Museum visitors were unaware of the study and informed post hoc that we had registered their viewing behavior and asked to give consent for the use of their data. This article presents the study design as well as results from over 800 participants. While the data quality from the eye tracker prototype was not sufficient to conduct the intended analysis on within-painting gaze movements, this study might serve as a step towards an unobtrusive examination of the art viewing experience. It was possible to analyze time spent viewing paintings and those results show that certain paintings consistently drew significantly more prolonged attention from viewers. Full article