Abstract
The widespread application of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in cultural tourism has made the optimizationofuserinteractionakeyfactorinenhancingtheoverallexperience. This study takes the Gongtan Ancient Town in Chongqingasacasestudytoconductacomparativeanalysisofembodied and non-embodied interactive AR in cultural contexts. A within-subject experiment with 36 participants was conducted, combining quantitative evaluations (UEQ-S scale, cognitive dimension ranking, and comparative scoring) and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. This mixed-method approach enabled a systematic comparison of emotional, cognitive, and usability- related differences between the two interaction modes. The results indicate that embodied AR significantly enhances immersion and cultural resonance, while non-embodied AR demonstrates greater advantages in operational efficiency and clarity of information. Based on these findings, the studyproposesacontext-aware interaction adaptation strategy that dynamically matches embodied or non-embodied interaction modes according to task type and user characteristics. The research extends the theoretical understandings of embodiment in cultural AR experiences research and provides practical design guidelines for interaction design in cultural tourism ARsystems.
Keywords
Embodied Interactive AR; Non-Embodied Interactive AR; User Experience; Cultural
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.168
Citation
Gao, Q., Gao, B., Zheng, H.,and Xue, S.(2025) A Study of the Application and Experience Differences between Embodied and Non-Embodied Interactive AR in Cultural Tourism, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.168
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 3 - Design, Art & Technology
A Study of the Application and Experience Differences between Embodied and Non-Embodied Interactive AR in Cultural Tourism
The widespread application of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in cultural tourism has made the optimizationofuserinteractionakeyfactorinenhancingtheoverallexperience. This study takes the Gongtan Ancient Town in Chongqingasacasestudytoconductacomparativeanalysisofembodied and non-embodied interactive AR in cultural contexts. A within-subject experiment with 36 participants was conducted, combining quantitative evaluations (UEQ-S scale, cognitive dimension ranking, and comparative scoring) and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. This mixed-method approach enabled a systematic comparison of emotional, cognitive, and usability- related differences between the two interaction modes. The results indicate that embodied AR significantly enhances immersion and cultural resonance, while non-embodied AR demonstrates greater advantages in operational efficiency and clarity of information. Based on these findings, the studyproposesacontext-aware interaction adaptation strategy that dynamically matches embodied or non-embodied interaction modes according to task type and user characteristics. The research extends the theoretical understandings of embodiment in cultural AR experiences research and provides practical design guidelines for interaction design in cultural tourism ARsystems.