Using AR Headset Camera to Track Museum Visitor Attention: Initial Development Phase

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) has become one of the mainstream media volumes. In museums, AR applications are being implemented to enhance visitor experience. Analyzing the museum visitor experience is crucial for a museum to provide better service to society. Head-mounted cameras and eye-tracking headsets can be used to analyze visitor experience. With the AR headsets becoming part of museum exhibitions, one can utilize these headsets to track and analyze visitor experience. This research aims to improve on the existing work on tracking museum visitor experience using AR headsets. Specifically, this paper discusses an experiment performed at the Jule Collins Museum of Fine Arts at Auburn, Alabama. Visitors’ attention towards exhibits was measured using an AR headset camera. Visitor exit surveys were collected reflecting on the visitor experience. This paper illustrates the applicability and failures of analyzing visitor experience with AR headset camera for different exhibits and scenarios. This paper also provides insight into the following issues: privacy concerns with using AR headsets in museums and the ways AR headsets affect visitor experience and behavior.