Collaborative Augmented Reality for Cultural Heritage, Tourist Sites and Museums: Sharing Visitors’ Experiences and Interactions

In this chapter, synergies between augmented reality (AR) and shared experiences are explored. The shared experiences (such as visiting a cultural site or a museum) can benefit from computer-supported collaborative work done in the context of maintenance, training, and simulation. With the wide availability and use of AR-enabled smartphones, it is now possible to create collaborative experiences built upon the knowledge gained from such industry-oriented training applications. This novel approach allows for a greater user engagement fostered by the collaborative nature of an AR shared space. Recent AR works allow for many users to observe the same superimposed object as the group and interact collaboratively with it, as users can see not only the other users but their actions and effects in the virtual elements. This methodology allows for group interaction around tangible cultural points of interest at different scales (such as ruins or buildings but also statues and paintings).