The Application of Procedurally Generated Libraries in Immersive Virtual Reality

Saeed Safikhani*, Benedikt Gross, Johanna Pirker

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

While digital libraries offer essential benefits for the digital age such as constant availability and accessibility, they often fail in providing a similarly enjoyable browsing experience that benefits engagement and serendipitous exploration inherent to traditional library experiences. In this paper, we propose a virtual reality (VR) library environment that emulates a traditional library promoting an engaging browsing experience that benefits browsing enjoyment and serendipity. The implemented system uses procedural content generation to dynamically generate a library-like environment, wherein each room corresponds to a specific category of the digital library. To assess the usability of the implemented system, we conducted an A/B study comparing the VR environment with the web interface of Project Gutenberg. The results of the study suggest that while the physical demand for using the VR environment is higher, the system can significantly benefit the browsing experience and entice users’ curiosity. Furthermore, the study suggests that the system can increase user engagement and users generally felt that using the system was rewarding.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationImmersive Learning Research Network - 10th International Conference on Immersive Learning, iLRN 2024, Revised Selected Papers
EditorsJule M. Krüger, Daniela Pedrosa, Dennis Beck, Marie-Luce Bourguet, Andreas Dengel, Rami Ghannam, Alan Miller, Anasol Peña-Rios, Jonathon Richter
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages217-231
Number of pages15
ISBN (Print)9783031804748
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Feb 2025
Event10th International Conference on Immersive Learning, iLRN 2024 - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Duration: 10 Jun 202413 Jun 2024

Publication series

NameCommunications in Computer and Information Science
Volume2271 CCIS
ISSN (Print)1865-0929
ISSN (Electronic)1865-0937

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Immersive Learning, iLRN 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityGlasgow
Period10/06/2413/06/24

Keywords

  • Digital Library
  • Procedural Generation
  • Virtual Reality

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Computer Science
  • General Mathematics

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