Effectiveness of Practicing Social Distancing in Museums and Art Galleries for Visitors Using Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR): S.M.A.R.T. - Social Distancing Using Mobile Augmented Reality Technology

After the tragic Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was declared by the WHO (World Health Organization) in March 2020, social distancing and sanitization were recommended by top medical experts and health officials to help stop the virus spread. Research has sought to help people practice social distancing in public attractions such as museums and art galleries using touchless technologies. In the modern circle of innovation and technology, mobile augmented reality (MAR) is a touchless technology that adds layers of virtual information on top of real-world images. An individual can view 3D images and videos by pointing an AR-enabled device towards a piece of digital information. This paper describes the constructive use of the major design elements of MAR, which can directly be applied for impaired and non-impaired visitors to practice social distancing in museums and art galleries.