Making virtual reconstructions part of the visit: an exploratory study

The paper reports a qualitative study with the objective of obtaining a better understanding of the use of 3D reconstructions as part of a visit to a heritage site. The same content was displayed on two different devices: a tablet that provides an augmented reality (AR) overlapping the reconstructions in the real world and a headset that immerses the visitor in the past via a virtual reality (VR) experience. These two settings were evaluated in two different heritage contexts: a house museum, and a display-case museum. Visitors and museum professionals participated and used both devices. The results show that an AR setting is preferred when it is possible to compare the present day with the past while VR is preferred to contextualise exhibits, particularly when the original environment was monumental. Guidelines to reuse 3D reconstructions as part of the visit are provided on the bases of the questionnaires, observations, and discussions collected during the study.