Abstract
This project ‘Museum without walls: access for all” funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020, investigates state-of-the-art access options that employ new technologies within diverse museum and visitor attraction environments. The primary aim is to enhance the transmission of information and enrich the quality of experience for people who are blind or partially sighted (BPS). As part of this research project, we are collaborating with the world-renowned museum - Titanic Belfast to develop the use of new technologies to improve accessibility and visitor experience and to evaluate their effectiveness. This paper aims to describe two novel approaches are put forward to improve museum accessibility and visitor experience. Firstly, novel ways of exploiting various sensory capabilities are investigated, such as laser-cut and 3D printed objects combining with touch-sensitive technology to compensate for the loss of sight and enhance the quality of the museum visiting experience. Secondly, this project explores the possible use of commercial Artificial Intelligence-based Voice-Controlled Personal Assistants such as Alexa to design an interactive mobile app which is able to answer questions automatically from the end-user, thus to provide a more interactive and user-led museum experience for BPS visitors. For example, our long term vision is that a user might be able to ask questions such as “Tell me more about …” or “How do I get to the restaurant?” Answering questions like these requires a customised database with knowledge about the exhibits and the building.
Presenters
Xi WangMarie-Curie Early Stage Researcher, School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast, Antrim, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Museum Accessibility, Visitor Experience, Blind and Partially Sighted Visitors
