Virtual museum guide wins Best Demo award

Researchers from VU Amsterdam and the UT receive the award for best demo at the HHAI2022 conference for their virtual museum guide.

Virtual museum guide wins Best Demo award

From 13 to 17 June, the first international conference on Hybrid Human-Artificial Intelligence (HHAI2022) took place at VU Amsterdam. Researchers Dou Liu, Claudia Libbi and Delaram Javdani Rikhtehgar won the award for Best Demo for their virtual museum guide. Further development of the demo is made possible through internal funding.

The guide was developed as part of the Interactive Inclusive Heritage project within the Smart Areas focus area. This research explores how new and interactive technologies can add value to traditional museums and cultural heritage sites.

The conference provided the researchers with an excellent opportunity to showcase a product resulting from the VU-UT collaboration, discuss inclusive and interactive cultural heritage, and receive feedback, ideas and inspiration from fellow scientists conducting high-level research in this highly relevant field.

One of the key topics discussed at the conference was whether AI can be used in an interactive and meaningful way to keep visitors engaged. This is an important direction for the further development of the demo. The researchers aim to ensure that all visitors feel they can actively engage with the experience.

The next phase of development is supported by internal funding, allowing experienced research assistants to refine and expand the demo. Additionally, user tests will take place soon, along with feedback sessions involving stakeholders, partners and fellow researchers.

Interested in getting involved or staying informed? Get in touch with Claudia Libbi at c.a.libbi@vu.nl or Shenghui Wang at shenghui.wang@utwente.nl.