ABSTRACT

Smartphone applications have become an essential tool for museums because of their positive impact on visitor experience. However, smartphones can potentially distract visitors from the exhibit, crippling the hands-on experience. In this study, we present SurfaceLens which is a smartphone-based peripheral device enabling near-surface spatial interaction with exhibits. SurfaceLens detects proximity, location on the surface, and orientation of the device while a visitor moves it along the surface of exhibits like using a magnifying glass. It provides an information space and audio-haptic feedback reflecting its location and orientation so that the visitor can feel like seeing-through the exhibit. We compared this near-surface spatial interaction with on-screen touch interaction to investigate their effect on visitor experience and behaviour. The results indicate that SurfaceLens provided a more intuitive and transparent understanding of the content when used as an observation tool. Moreover, narrowing down the distance between visitors and exhibits promotes exploratory behaviours.

摘要

智能手机应用程序因其对游客体验的积极影响而成为博物馆必不可少的工具。然而，智能手机可能会分散参观者对展览的注意力，从而削弱动手体验。在这项研究中，我们展示了 SurfaceLens，它是一种基于智能手机的外围设备，能够与展品进行近地表空间交互。SurfaceLens 检测设备的接近度、表面位置和方向，同时参观者像使用放大镜一样沿着展品表面移动设备。它提供了一个信息空间和反映其位置和方向的听觉触觉反馈，以便参观者可以感觉像是看穿了展览。我们将这种近地表空间交互与屏幕触摸交互进行了比较，以研究它们对访客体验和行为的影响。结果表明，当用作观察工具时，SurfaceLens 提供了对内容的更直观和透明的理解。此外，缩小参观者和展品之间的距离可以促进探索行为。