A Kinesthetic Approach to Digital Heritage Using Leap Motion: The Cycladic Sculpture Application

Abstract

Recent advances in low-cost sensor technologies, such as Microsoft Kinect and Leap Motion allow bare hand or full body interactions to be easily included in interactive 3D applications. It has already been recognized that museums and heritage institutions can significantly benefit from this new paradigm by providing a more experiential and engaging approach to culture through interactive installations. This paper presents the development and evaluation of a cultural heritage application for learning about Cycladic sculpture, which places users in the role of the sculptor and lets them progressively create a statue by selecting and applying the appropriate tools. The application is based on bare hand interactions supported by Leap Motion. The evaluation results indicate that users found the experience positive and engaging, and lead to a number of issues for further consideration regarding the system setup and the user experience.