Digital Past 2016

Virtual Reality at the British Museum...

While a growing number of cultural heritage sites are using virtual reality to enhance visitor experiences, examples of this technology within museums are far fewer. Lizzie Edwards, Education Manager at the Samsung Digital Learning Programme at the British Museum, will be talking about the findings from their 'Virtual Reality Weekend' in August, an early iteration of the use of VR in a museum.

 

Bronze Age round house interior: Photo Soluis Group Limited

 

The talk will cover the exploration of the potential of Samsung Gear VR headsets and Virtual Reality environments to assess how they might deepen engagement with museum collections for children, young people, school group and families. Based around 3D scans of three Bronze Age objects, the experience invited users to explore multiple interpretations of each object's function and purpose while locating the objects in the context of a virtual Bronze Age round house.

                        British Museum: Photo Benedict Johnson                                                       Sussex Loop: Photo Sketchfab
 

Lizzie will discuss the testing of the experience, the use of different platforms and the feedback received. She will also place VR within the context of other digital engagement methods used in museums to assess its relative value in providing engagement opportunities.