Digital Augmentation of Historical Objects Through Tangible Interaction

The technological advances brought about by the Internet of Things enable new opportunities for a more direct interaction among users, objects, and places. This is an extremely valuable innovation for the cultural heritage sector, as it allows a more transparent use of technology in the digital augmentation of museums and cultural heritage sites. The possibility to augment physical objects with sensors detecting when they are moved and manipulated enables scenarios where descriptive information about objects is presented to users at the very exact time they are looking at them, stimulating engagement. This article describes a collaborative research effort among cultural heritage professionals, human--computer interaction experts, and developers that was aimed at investigating the goals and constraints curators consider for a physical encounter between visitors and historic relics. In a case study, we co-designed an interactive plinth centred on tangible interaction and evaluated the impact on the user experience of combining digital information with a hands-on experience of relics of World War I. Our findings show that visitors value this type of tangible interaction with collection objects positively, as it allows the discovery of details and the learning of aspects that normally go unnoticed. The synergy between physical and digital aspects stimulates empathy with the original users of the object and fosters social interaction.