Designing a Rhythmic AR Interaction for Auditory-Oriented Heritage: A Preliminary Case Study at Guqintai

Abstract

As digital cultural tourism increasingly shifts from one-way presentation to participatory interaction, augmented reality (AR) technology has been progressively applied in cultural heritage contexts. However, most existing AR cultural tourism applications remain limited to overlays of text, images, or animations, leaving users largely in a passive viewing role. Systematic research on how embodied interaction influences users’ comprehensive engagement and psychological perception, as well as on perceptual differences across various types of heritage sites, remains scarce. This study takes the 'Zhi Yin' culture carried by Wuhan’s Guqintai as a case study. We developed a rhythm-driven AR interaction prototype that transforms the classical narrative of Bo Ya and Zhong Ziqi into actionable interactive experiences, guiding visitors to perceive narrative continuity and develop a sense of situated engagement during their on-site visit. A small-scale field user test was conducted, collecting observational notes and interview data to evaluate system usability, immersion, and cultural understanding. Results indicate that rhythm-driven interaction can markedly improve engagement in auditory-oriented heritage settings: most participants quickly learned the rhythm-trigger logic, and the sound-motion synchronization mechanism effectively increased attention and emotional involvement. Furthermore, gesture amplitude was positively correlated with immersion across different rhythm stages, with large gestures (e.g., in punching interaction) eliciting higher engagement and enjoyment than smaller gestures (e.g., in conducting interaction). In summary, this study provides preliminary practical and theoretical insights for AR interaction design in auditory-oriented heritage contexts. It demonstrates the potential of rhythm-driven interaction to enhance engagement, facilitate cultural understanding, and evoke emotional resonance, laying the foundation for future large-sample studies and adaptive, data-driven optimization research.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, Rhythm-based Interaction, Auditory-oriented Heritage, Digital Cultural Tourism, Embodied Experience

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007508