The integration of Extended Reality (XR) technologies is transforming the role of museums from static repositories of knowledge to interactive, experiential spaces. This shift is driven by the evolving digitalized public, characterized by heightened expectations for immersive, engaging, and personalized content consumption. Museums now employ innovative strategies, such as edutainment, to merge education with entertainment, fostering deeper emotional and cognitive connections with visitors. XR technologies, encompassing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), play a crucial role in enhancing cultural heritage interpretation, visualization, and interaction. In the contemporary scenario, many applications are revolutionizing visitor engagement in museum environments by enabling digital storytelling, gamified learning, and interactive exploration and, as a long-term result, improving knowledge retention and fostering a stronger appreciation for cultural heritage among the visiting digitalized public. Despite the transformative potential of XR, challenges persist, including accessibility issues, financial constraints, and the need for specialized staff training. Future research aims to refine XR applications by employing frameworks to optimize usability and engagement. As museums continue to embrace digital transformation, XR technologies will be instrumental in ensuring their long-term relevance, enhancing visitor satisfaction, and bridging the gap between cultural heritage preservation and contemporary digital advancements.
The paper investigates the evolution of AI-assisted architectural representation from early unpredictable text-to-image generation systems toward more controlled and precise workflows based on Stable Diffusion, ControlNet, and LookX AI. The research analyzes the role of latent spaces, diffusion models, GANs, convolutional neural networks, and AI rendering systems in architectural visualization, emphasizing the transition from exploratory AI image production to controllable design-oriented generation. Through experimental workflows combining Rhinoceros 3D models, ControlNet preprocessors, segmentation maps, depth maps, edge detection, and prompt engineering, the study evaluates how AI systems can support architectural rendering, stylistic control, spatial coherence, and atmosphere generation. The paper compares open-source and cloud-based AI platforms, discussing the balance between creativity, predictability, customization, and architectural precision in contemporary AI-assisted design workflows.
The paper presents a Virtual Reality-based feedback system designed to support product design evaluation and customer interaction during the development process. The research proposes a Product-Service System (PSS) workflow integrating VR environments, game engines, 3D modeling, usability testing, and interactive feedback collection to improve communication between designers and users during the early design stages. The methodology combines Autodesk 3DS Max, Unreal Engine, Unity3D, C# scripting, and web-based VR deployment to create immersive environments in which users can interact with virtual products, manipulate materials and geometries, and provide evaluative feedback through integrated usability interfaces. The system is tested through interactive prototypes of industrial design objects, demonstrating how VR and real-time 3D visualization can support iterative product refinement, customer-centered design, and collaborative decision-making within digital product development pipelines.
SurveyingGame: Gamified Virtual Environment for Surveying Training
This contribution describes the first developing phases of a tool aimed to support field training ses-sions in topographic survey learning courses. After describing the issue that justifys the proposal of the research, a discussion of similar approaches carried out by researcher from different countries is shown. Thenceforth, the concept and description of the proposed gamified simulator are explained. Finally, the future features and scopes of the research are presented.
AR as a Tool for Teaching to Architecture Students
Information and communication technology (ICT) are nowadays an integral part of daily life. Training and educational activities are among the different areas that widely profit from the use of these tech-nologies.The proposed contribution aims to develop an augmented reality application for accessing docu-mentary sources used in the teaching of drawing disciplines in architecture courses at the University of Cagliari. Much information is produced and collected in drawing classes, primarily in the form of representations, which are either adopted by the professors year after year or elaborated by the students during the classes.This collection of materials represents a significant legacy that is typically used to enhance instruction, despite certain obstacles in disseminating it among students.As a result, it was decided to use some of the publications from the core bibliography for a student studying the Castello district and its architecture as an “access point” to the knowledge.