Omnidirectional video in museums – Authentic, immersive and entertaining

Abstract

Omnidirectional video (ODV) provides possibilities for capture and presentation of cultural content for museums and other exhibitions. 360° video capture can record authentic environments and activities, and enables immersive viewing of such material. We present the potential of ODV by reporting the learnings from long-term user experience data collection with two ODV-based museum installations; a head mounted display (HMD) based rally simulator, and a road grader simulator utilizing three projectors and haptic feedback. The results show the value of immersion, provide insights into the possibilities and challenges of interactivity, and show, how haptic feedback can improve the overall experience. The results also provide support to the use of physical elements in museum installations. In addition, we managed to avoid cyber sickness, a common problem with immersive VR content, in the installations. Overall, the respondents strongly support the conception that these kinds of installations would make museums more desirable places to visit.