Dwells in museum: The restorative potential of augmented reality

Abstract

Augmented Reality (AR) is increasingly recognized as a transformative tool for creating restorative environments within museums. It has the potential to provide psychological benefits for visitors, including attention restoration, stress reduction, and anxiety alleviation. This study explores how AR can foster these benefits within museum spaces. By adopting AR technology, museums can go beyond their traditional roles of knowledge dissemination. The immersive, adaptive, and interactive features of AR can enhance the museum experience, transforming it into an innovative therapeutic space. By combining real exhibits with virtual elements, AR can restore visitors’ psychological energy within museum settings. This integration of digital innovation into restorative contexts surpasses the traditional functions of visual service. Through empirical investigation of multiple dimensions of restorative environments, AR museum experiences offer comprehensive attention restoration. In this study, a survey was conducted with 279 participants to assess the impact of AR museum experiences on visitors’ psychology. The results revealed that such experiences contribute to heightened attention restoration levels, stress reduction, and anxiety relief. With the latest advancements in generative artificial intelligence, AR technology is empowered to integrate within museums. This integration will merge individuals with customized technology, expanding human perceptual experiences and highlighting AR's significant influence within the museum environment.