Markerless Augmented Reality Application for Interactive Exploration of Melaka's Historical Sites

Over the ages, Egypt has been known for its flourished history with the ability and the power to fascinate mankind. Its great heritage appears in several forms that include monuments, tombs, temples, and documents revealing past events, but until the beginning of the 21st century only a minimum share of the secrets and the mysteries were exposed. Egypt’s monuments are deteriorated and out of the spot and has been left without maintenance and development. Numerous monuments and historical sites are ignored and not even considered as a destination for tourists because of the absence of virtuous marketing and propaganda. The planning and management of cultural heritage buildings through digital 3D models has become a necessity to protect and conserve the existing history. Building Information Modelling BIM is considered a main tool adopted by the Architecture, Engineering and Construction AEC sector for its qualities and capabilities. Due to the complexity of cultural heritage buildings the concept of Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) which concerns the modelling, documentation, and virtualizing the heritage. This research will focus on the use of HBIM technology by implementing augmented reality mobile application to upgrade the quality of branding of historical sites in Egypt. The AR will augment Al-Baron Palace, which is the chosen case study. The methodology adopted is literature review, comparative analysis on international case studies of sites that applied augmented reality, and an experiment followed by a questionnaire answered by users to evaluate the usage of such mobile application. The research will conclude with a framework that will provide guidelines for applying augmented reality technology system in order to enhance and promote Egypt’s heritage.

The need for preservation and flexible exploration of historical artifacts generated increasing interest in using digital technologies in the cultural heritage context. This paper presents user interaction applications of a recent digital cultural heritage conservation and exploration project concerning one of the most famous heritage site “Gobeklitepe” in Turkey that is the oldest known human-made religious structure and added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List by the year 2018 is 15 km away of northeast of the town Sanliurfa. The project aims at enriching the visitor experience through modern digital technologies. Main modules include 3D scanning of the artifacts, information screen and mobile interaction with Augmented Reality (AR). AR has been developed to provide information about destinations and attractions. Because of the development of AR, tourists using AR can gain valuable experience without a tourist guide. There two aims of this study: 1) is to describe acceptance of a new technology such as AR and visiting intention for visitors who use AR at a heritage destination, 2) to measure tourists’ experiences of visiting historic sites. For this purpose, two scales were used for data collection. In accordance with the first aim of the study, the scale adapted by Chung, Han & Joun (2015) which is to explain visitors’ acceptance of AR based on the TAM. Secondly, Lee & Smith’s (2015) multiple-item scale was used to measure tourists’ experiences of visiting historic sites and museums. There are three dimensions in the first scale as perceived usefulness (5 items), perceived ease of use (3 items) and visit intention (2 items) visit intention (2 items) in accordance with the purpose of the study. On the other hand, the second scale involves natively 16 items under six dimensions. The findings offer important practical implications for historic sites and museums in relation to AR and experiential marketing. The findings show that the Augmented Reality applications have an important practical usefulness for the Gobeklitepe archeological site and particularly enriching of the visitor experience. The study shows that the AR applications impact on the visit intention of the visitors. The study is revealed that applications can be applied to enhance the attractiveness of the archeological sites, as Gobeklitepe, in many destinations.

Experiencing Augmented Reality as an Accessibility Resource in the UNESCO Heritage Site Called “La Lonja”, Valencia

Innovative methods for monitoring cultural heritage affected by climate change by enhancing visitors' experience. One of the most significant challenges facing global cultural heritage preservation is the escalating impact of climate change on cultural heritage sites. In response to these threats, innovative technological solutions have become essential. Technologies such as crowdsourcing, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) significantly enhance cultural heritage site monitoring and visitor experience. The TRIQUETRA project exemplifies this integration by employing citizen-driven crowdsourcing as a scalable and costeffective strategy for the real-time monitoring and preservation of vulnerable heritage sites. Visitors actively contribute by capturing and uploading geotagged images and environmental observations through an intuitive mobile and web platform, significantly enhancing monitoring data's temporal and spatial resolution. These crowdsourced inputs supplement traditional conservation methods and support the continuous refinement of advanced 3D site models, enabling the early detection of environmental changes and vulnerabilities. Further enriching this approach, immersive AR and VR experiences educate visitors and raise awareness about risks to heritage sites posed by climate change. AR technology offers real-time, contextually rich overlays of historical information, significantly enhancing visitor engagement. Meanwhile, VR modules allow virtual explorations of restricted or sensitive areas, fostering deeper public connections and advocacy for heritage preservation. Rigorously tested at the UNESCO-listed Choirokoitia site in Cyprus, this integrated framework has demonstrated practical effectiveness in mitigating site-specific hazards and informing targeted intervention strategies. TRIQUETRA offers a replicable, holistic approach by combining technological innovation, climate change awareness, and active citizen participation, significantly advancing the global agenda for proactive cultural heritage conservation amid ongoing climate challenges.

With the progress of technological developments in all areas, digital applications have started to be used more and more in cultural heritage areas in order to improve the visitor experience. For this reason, the effect of augmented reality applications on the museum visitors' experiences has started to be of interest to researchers. However, there is limited information in the literature about the variables through which the effect of augmented reality applications on the visitor experience occurs. Augmented reality stands out as an innovative tool designed to enrich visitors' interactions with historical sites and present cultural heritage in a more engaging way. This study conducts field research to how the perceived advantages of AR applications contribute to the perception of enjoyment during museum visits. Although various studies have examined the role of AR in historical places, a comprehensive and integrated analysis of this topic is still lacking. This research aims to address this gap by providing insights into how AR applications can improve the visitor experience, providing practical recommendations for museum and heritage site managers to optimize the use of these technologies. Specifically, the study explores the sequential mediation role of emotional engagement and technology use in the relationship between the perceived usefulness of AR applications and the enjoyment derived from museum visits. The study sample includes 437 people who visited museums in Istanbul. The findings show that the perceived usefulness of augmented reality applications has a significant and positive effect on the enjoyment of the museum visitor experience. Emotional experience and the use of technology play a partial mediating role in this relationship. As a result, as the perceived benefit of augmented reality applications increases, the fun of the museum visitor experience has directly increased. This effect is partly due to emotional experience and the use of technology.

With the development of Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore, mobile augmented reality (AR) applications have become much more popular. For Android devices, ARCore provides basic motion tracking and environmental understanding. However, with current software frameworks it can be difficult to create an AR application from the ground up. Our solution is CalAR, which is a lightweight, open-source software environment to develop AR applications for Android devices, while giving the programmer full control over the phone’s resources. With CalAR, the programmer can create marker-less AR applications which run at 60 frames per second on Android smartphones. These applications can include more complex environment understanding, physical simulation, user interaction with virtual objects, and interaction between virtual objects and objects in the physical environment. With CalAR being based on CalVR, which is our multi-platform virtual reality software engine, it is possible to port CalVR applications to an AR environment on Android phones with minimal effort. We demonstrate this with the example of a spatial visualization application.

The feature of combining the real world with virtual objects enables Augmented Reality (AR) to provide a better display of information, resulting in its increasing popularity in a variety of industries. However, sometimes the two types of AR application Ð marker-based AR and markerless AR Ð are confusing to developers. These two types of AR can be applied to different situations because both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages. So it is necessary for developers to learn the difference between these two types of AR. In this paper, an AR-based indoor decoration system is developed to illustrate the difference between marker-based AR and markerless AR. The developed system can aid in viewing the effect of indoor decoration with both virtual facilities and product information in advance. Based on the two modules of this system (marker-based module and markerless module), this paper makes a comparison between these two types of AR in the following four aspects: (1) methods in realizing AR, (2) position accuracy, (3) stability, and (4) hardware support. The comparison results can provide future developers with a judgement basis when deciding which types of AR to select.

The article presents the experience of teaching students — future teachers to use augmented reality (AR) technologies in lessons on various subjects of the school curriculum. The analysis of two main approaches to the creation of augmented reality (marker-based and markerless), AR applications for mobile devices, software solutions for creating AR content, as well as the experience accumulated by teachers-researchers in the use of AR technologies in the educational process allowed us to draw conclusions about what methodological techniques for studying theoretical approaches to defining the concept of “augmented reality” and technologies for implementing augmented reality are appropriate to use in educational practice. As a result, a methodology was proposed that includes two blocks of training future subject teachers to use augmented reality technologies in their future professional activities in the process of teaching academic subjects, according to two implementations of AR technologies: marker-based AR based on the use of the domestic software platform ARGUMENT and markerless AR, involving the use of ready-made AR applications available on the software market. This methodology can be used not only in educational practice with students, but also in working with schoolchildren in the context of specialized informatics training. The developed methodology was tested at Murmansk Arctic University as part of the professional training of bachelors in the field of “Pedagogical education” in the process of teaching the discipline “Digital education technologies”, as well as during the educational (project-technological) practice of students. The proposed training options for the use of augmented reality technologies in teaching academic subjects at school can be included in the programs of professional training of students studying in the field of “Pedagogical education”, and also used in additional professional pedagogical education when working with subject teachers in retraining and advanced training courses to develop methodological knowledge and skills of teachers on the proposed issues.

This study introduces an innovative Augmented Reality (AR) cultural application designed to enrich the tourism experience of the Dvaravati-Khmer civilization in Thailand. Addressing the scarcity of interactive digital tools at historical sites, which often fail to engage modern visitors effectively, our AR application integrates multiple functionalities, including 3D object scanning, VR site exploration, and a digital rally system. Developed using the Unity engine and Vuforia SDK, the application underwent rigorous user trials involving 43 participants to evaluate its impact on user experience, learning effectiveness, and engagement. Results demonstrated a 40% increase in historical knowledge retention, with 92% task completion rates and high user satisfaction (4.01/5). The application’s intuitive design and gamified elements significantly enhanced visitor interaction and learning. Here, we showcase an adaptable model for digital cultural tourism enhancement, providing practical insights for heritage preservation and visitor engagement.

This scoping review synthesizes the evidence on how augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) enhance accessibility and participation for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in non-formal educational settings (e.g., museums, libraries, heritage sites and community programs). Following the PCC and PRISMA-ScR frameworks, studies published between 2015 and 2025 in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French were searched in Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed. After peer screening, 9 manuscripts were analysed (from 246 unique records; 27 full texts reviewed). The most frequent contexts included libraries (orientation and anxiety reduction), cultural experiences with immersive subtitling, technical training using AR and sign language, and autonomous/community-based learning. Visual accessibility features predominated (subtitles, sign language support, 3D visualizations), with generally positive but exploratory evidence (small samples, short-term studies). We conclude that AR/VR have clear potential, but more robust designs, standardization (e.g., subtitles/avatars), co-design with deaf communities and evaluations of sustainability and scalability are needed.

Augmented reality technologies undertake focus role which provide opportunity to harmonize the earthilyreality with virtual field and evaluate their integral elements.The very first examples of augmented realityapplications are viewers on the head,simulators,wearable tools,pocket PCs,desktop PCs and cameras whichare integrated externally but augmented reality applications have gain a great acceleration by developingtechnologies such as internet,becoming popular for the mobile devices and their mobile applicationsaccordingly and especially by the appearance of the smart wears and increase on their functions.Augmentedreality applications that are often used in defence,industry,medicine,trade and entertainment are now startedto be used in the education.Augmented reality applications achieve deep learning of the systems or objectswhich are hard to learn by attracting attention and cares of the students by providing their different viewsduring teaching and learning process.Also these applications supports students to use their creativity byexpanding their imagination.Especially if we consider today’s students are digital natives(Y and Z generation) who grow up in the multimedia world and inside the technology,it is a reality that augmented reality applications which have rich content in the learning-teaching environments can have a role that increase themotivations of the students instead of a classic course book. In the light of these information, in this study theresearch and application samples of augmented reality which is now used widely in teaching and learningprocess the effect of augmented reality on teaching and learning is handled.Keywords: Augmented reality, augmented reality applications in education

This chapter focusses on the importance of using technology in tourism. This chapter also comprehensively highlights technologies that are impacting the tourism industry as well as the constraints the industry is facing. Many research studies have been conducted which outline the contributions and importance of technology in tourism in general. In recent years, various research studies, ranging from tourism management to geography, have increasingly explored the opportunities to use cutting-edge information and communication technologies (ICTs), implemented at different scales, in order to improve tourists’ experiences. Among several technology-driven solutions, augmented reality (AR) is usually regarded as a useful tool for tourism. AR has become an area of significant interest and investment in recent times. The present study focusses on case studies where AR-based smart tourism applications have been developed. In tourist destinations, visitors exhibit a great interest in learning while travelling. Curiosity plays a significant role for visitors buying trips for their families and they are willing to pay slightly more for a unique experience. The findings offer several contributions to the literature by providing new theoretical insights into the intersection of AR and tourism in Italian heritage sites, especially in Sicily.

There is a growing interest for the broad use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in the fields of bioinformatics and cheminformatics to visualize complex biological and chemical structures. AR and VR technologies allow for stunning and immersive experiences, offering untapped opportunities for both research and education purposes. However, preparing 3D models ready to use for AR and VR is time-consuming and requires a technical expertise that severely limits the development of new contents of potential interest for structural biologists, medicinal chemists, molecular modellers and teachers. Herein we present the RealityConvert software tool and associated website, which allow users to easily convert molecular objects to high quality 3D models directly compatible for AR and VR applications. For chemical structures, in addition to the 3D model generation, RealityConvert also generates image trackers, useful to universally call and anchor that particular 3D model when used in AR applications. The ultimate goal of RealityConvert is to facilitate and boost the development and accessibility of AR and VR contents for bioinformatics and cheminformatics applications. http://www.realityconvert.com. dfourch@ncsu.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

No abstract available.

This study explores the integration of mobile Augmented Reality (AR) applications within the context of the National Museum of Malaysia, focusing on enhancing the educational experience for visitors. The project aims to address the challenge of enhancing museum experiences through innovative technologies. The research problem centers on designing an AR application for the National Museum of Malaysia to enrich the visitor engagement and understanding, as stemmed from the decline in museum visitors, with the National Museum of Malaysia experiencing a staggering 70% drop in income in 2020 and 2021. Utilizing Unity Editor and other libraries, the project developed the National Museum AR App, featuring four distinct AR experiences corresponding to different exhibits within the museum. Methods involve AR content creation, user testing, and data analysis. Overall, findings suggest that the AR application effectively meets visitors' learning needs and enhances the educational value of museum exhibits by providing unique AR features. The significance of the project lies in its potential to transform cultural heritage tourism by bridging the gap between traditional museum experiences and digital engagement. The study also serves as a preliminary investigation to guide the future development and deployment of AR applications within the museum setting.