Twenty-second International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

Sounds and soundscapes have a profound impact on our daily lives, shaping activities and their memories. Due to its evocative, ephemeral, and intangible nature, sound has the power to evoke the past and enhance the present. Aural experiences can provide transparent accessibility to cultural and artistic heritage through immersive audio augmented reality (AAR) projects, using bone conduction headphones (BCHs). Unlike traditional headphones placed inside the ears, BCHs rest on the cheekbones, projecting the audio signal directly to the cochlea. Bypassing the outer and middle ear, this system allows users to keep their ears open, enabling them to simultaneously perceive two layers of sound. BCHs enable the seamless merging of real and virtual sound layers enhancing the realism of virtual sound objects. This interdisciplinary research in digital humanities – merging cultural heritage, sound studies, archaeoacoustics, and museum studies – introduces bone conduction history and devices to explore the latest AAR experiences with BCHs. Use cases of completed projects for museums and theatres in Italy are presented, developed by Mezzo Forte, a company specialized in AR and VR. Examples include: sound design and audio guides for Palazzo Vecchio and Museo degli Innocenti (Florence), Fondazione Primo Conti, Roman Theatre and Archaeological area (Fiesole), Rocca Malatestiana (Verucchio); augmented and geolocalized audio guides for UNESCO Parco delle Biancane (Monterotondo Marittimo); musical composition and audio guides for Livorno’s historical waterways; virtual acoustics for Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence); and an AAR interactive theatre play, Acchiappafantasmi!, for the Ex ILVA area in Follonica.