ARtiVision: Bridging Expert Knowledge and Visitor Experience through Gaze-Guided Artifact Interpretation in AR

Abstract

Museums play a vital role in promoting public art education and cultural appreciation. However, traditional guidance methods often lack interactivity and fail to convey curatorial insights effectively, resulting in fragmented visitor attention and superficial understanding of artifacts. To address these challenges, we present ARtiVision, a gaze-guided augmented reality framework designed to deliver immersive and personalized museum experiences. Based on interviews with 2 curators and a visitor behavior study with 12 museum visitors, we construct a hierarchical artifact appreciation model that bridges expert knowledge with diverse visitor needs, enabling multi-level engagement with cultural exhibits. ARtiVision integrates two core components: an expert-driven annotation system for structuring interpretive content, and an AR application that presents this content interactively based on visitor preferences and attention. This design allows visitors to explore artifacts at varying depths, enhancing autonomy and comprehension. A follow-up study with 12 museum visitors and 2 curators demonstrate that ARtiVision improves engagement duration, enhances knowledge retention, and streamlines curatorial workflows. Our results highlight ARtiVision’s potential as a scalable, user-adaptive solution for enriching museum experiences.

Keywords

Augmented Reality / Artifact Interpretation / Gaze Interaction / Museum Experience

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press 2026

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