BentoMuseum: 3D and Layered Interactive Museum Map for Blind Visitors

Abstract

Obtaining information before a visit is one of the priority needs and challenges for blind museum visitors. We propose BentoMuseum, a layered, stackable, and three-dimensional museum map that makes complex structural information accessible by allowing explorations on a floor and between floors. Touchpoints are embedded to provide audio-tactile interactions that allow a user to learn the museum’s exhibits and navigation when one floor is placed on a touch screen. Using a tour design task, we invited 12 first-time blind visitors to explore the museum building, chose exhibits that attracted them, and built a mental map with exhibit names and directions. The results show that the system is useful in obtaining information that links geometric shapes, contents, and locations to then build a rough mental map. The connected floors and spatial structures motivated users to explore. Moreover, having a rough mental map enhanced orientation and confidence when traveling through the museum.