Artworks De-visualisation: Accessibility to artworks and to Museum Space for Visually Impaired People

Within the majority of museums and galleries around the world, artworks and historic objects are presented in a look but do not touch environment. Access for Blind and partially blind people (BPBP) to the beauty, emotion or information inspired by these objects is therefore limited or non-existent. Museums have been looking towards technology in order to provide innovative solutions to these long-standing problems, to enhance the experience of both BPBP and sighted visitors.

Museums are not only interested in using technology to enhance access through multimodal presentation of artworks, but also in the importance of physical accessibility of exhibition halls and self-guided navigation through collection spaces. Specific wearable technologies and specific adaptable guides are necessary. Elementary trials at tactile presentation of artworks exist in research laboratories and some museums. In research laboratories such approaches are related to several synergetic components such as through the design of new multi-touch stimulation devices, the models of percept’s emergence from perceptions (stimulations), object simplification with “conservation of meaning”, multimodal data fusion etc.

Therefore, the objective of this session is to provide a state-of-the-art of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) based solutions for accessible artworks and possible progress beyond.

Contributions are invited on the following topics including but not limited to:

  1. Theoretical frameworks for artworks de-visualisation
  2. New approaches for museum experience enhancement.
  3. De-visualised representations of artworks (tactile, audio, multimodal, etc.)
  4. Theoretical frameworks for abstract concepts (percept) emergence from stimulation.
  5. Supportive digital technologies for art de-visualisation.
  6. Supportive technologies for museum experience enhancement.
  7. Experimental evaluation of artworks perception by BPBP.
  8. Emergence of qualia, new aesthetic experiences and their sharing.
  9. Rehabilitation of the percept emergence from perceptions.
  10. Models of interactions for man-machine wearable platform.
  11. Mobile assistance for self-indoor navigation.
  12. Methods for segmentation of images of paintings.
  13. Design of inclusive museum guides.

Chairs


Contributions to a STS have to be submitted using the standard submission procedures of ICCHP24.
When submitting your contribution please make sure to select the right STS from the drop-down list "Special Thematic Session". Contributions to a STS are evaluated by the Programme Committee of ICCHP-AAATE and by the chair(s) of the STS. Please get in contact with the STS chair(s) for discussing your contribution and potential involvement in the session.