Gareth Beale, researcher at Centre for Digital Heritage/Digital Creativity Labs (University of York), presents 'The DiNAR Project: Meaningful Mixed Reality for Heritage' at the Museum Computer Group (MCG) Spring Event 2016 - 'Life with Digital Projects' #MCGProjects

1. DiNAR //
MIXED REALITY
AND PLACE IN
ARCHÆOLOGY
GARETH BEALE

2. • Multidisciplinary research centre funded by the EPSRC
and AHRC to investigate the convergence of games
and interactive media.
• Multiple Universities and 70+ partners
• The primary goal is to generate real world impact from
leading research.
• Research themes include digital heritage, language
learning, serious games and game analytics.

3. DiNAR Project
• Real world applications of mixed reality for archaeology and
cultural heritage.
• We are particularly interested in playful and narrative
engagement.
• Beyond hype and towards meaningful use cases based on
underlying affordances of technology and real world needs.
• Multi-disciplinary Museum-University partnerships.
• 6 month period of experimental design and prototyping
followed by externally funded collaborations.
• Sustainable project structures and business models.

4. Established View of Mixed
Reality
Real
World
Virtual
Realit
y
Augmented
Reality AV
Augmented
Virtuality

5. Not just visual technology
• We are not
determined by
technology and are
interested in the
braod intersection
between digital
and material more
broadly.
• Impact of
pervasive digital
technology on
physical and social
engagements with
the world.

6. Performance, Play and
Engagement.
• Playful design and storytelling practic
• Using narrative forms to frame interactive
media experiences.

7. Kick Off Meeting
Project partners from
University of York and
Uppsala University met to
formulate university-side
technical and theoretical
research questions and
to plan the development
of partnerships for
ongoing work.

8. Community co-production
Managing learning curves to enable participation
using methods such as familiarity and genre
This impacts on media forms e.g. audio
Also, we want to think about the points at which
communities can be meaningfully involved i.e.
asset development or authorship?

9. Use of existing hardware
platforms?
Bring your own device or re-
use of existing on site
technologies

10. Re-usable software platforms
and assets
What form do these take?
• Interactive Storytelling Toolkits – paper based
or digital?
• How do these skills map onto established
forms of narrative development?
• Light touch narrative development tools
• Full design and implementation toolkits or
consultancy service?
• What are the implications for sustainability?

11. Next Steps
We are visiting Uppsala to talk about these
themes within a Swedish context. Emphasis on
Interaction Design, HCI and Museums.
We are seeking new partners for everything from
casual input through to focus groups and
partners for implementation.
UK event late summer.

12. Project Contacts
• Gareth Beale (Centre for Digital Heritage)
• Nicole Beale (Archaeology)
• Jon Hook (Theatre, Film and Television)
• Guy Schofield (Theatre, Film and Television)
• Daniel Löwenborg (Uppsala Archaeology)