Direct or Immersive? Comparing Smartphone-based Museum Guide Systems for Blind Visitors

Abstract

Guiding blind visitors to navigate and comprehend exhibits is crucial in museums. Two paradigms of smartphone-based guide systems have emerged: one provides direct interaction with turn-by-turn navigation and screen reader-controlled audio description, while the other offers immersive experiences with spatialized sound navigation and automatically played audio content. However, it remains unclear which system better supports museum experiences. In a comparative study at a science museum with seven blind participants experiencing both systems, we found that immersive spatialized sound was more effective and preferred for navigation. For information provision, participants valued audio autoplay's minimal operation but expressed a need for on-demand direct control. Touch instructions provided by both systems were found inadequate for aiding interactions with tactile exhibits. Our findings suggest that a hybrid system, which adds direct interaction to the immersive experience and is adaptable to both environment and user requirements, could enhance the museum experience for blind visitors.