Initially, a brief overview of intangible cultural heritage and augmented reality is provided. Subsequently, the document search and selection criteria, software and data extraction process, and analysis of findings and trends are emphasized in the following section. The third and central section of the review concentrates on the most prevalent uses of augmented reality in intangible cultural heritage, and it is structured around five leading topics: education, digital heritage, crafts, entertainment, and museums. Finally, the study concludes that this perspective on the future course of technological advancements in the transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
TopIntroduction
The genesis of Augmented Reality (AR) technology can be traced back to the realm of computer science interface research, and the term AR was first coined in 1990 (Caudell & Mizell, 1992). Ronald Azuma and his team provided valuable and fruitful research in AR in 1997 (Azuma, 1997) and later in 2001 (Azuma et al., 1997) Ronald Azuma argued to define AR as (1) combines real and virtual; (2) interactive in real time; (3) registered in 3D. AR combine, register, and interact with real and virtual information in a real environment (Ayer et al., 2016). The reality with an interactive and highly dynamic experience can be explored using mobile AR applications for layers of information (Kounavis et al., 2012).
Currently, AR technology has found widespread applications across various domains such as medicine, entertainment, education, Commerce, and tourism (Arena et al., 2022). In particular, it has been established as a valuable tool for the preservation and management of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). ICH includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts (UNESCO, 2011).
The utilization of digital solutions presents an opportunity for safeguarding and conserving ICH. Advancements in AR possess considerable potential to further elevate and augment the appreciation of ICH (Lu et al., 2020). The following segment provides an overview of multiple scenarios in which AR can be applied to ICH.
As for research methods in AR in cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage, some review studies can serve as a reference, for example, some researchers have listed to preserve ICH using advanced 3D technologies like visualization, 3D modeling, AR, VR, and motion capture systems (Skublewska-Paszkowska et al., 2022); some researchers have adopted bibliometric analyses methods based on software analysis to provide an overview of the last decade of the use of AR in cultural heritage (Boboc et al., 2022); some researchers establishes the technological elements that have enabled the preservation, promotion, and dissemination of tangible and intangible cultural heritage (Mendoza et al., 2023); and some researchers presented the use of mixed reality in museum education which includes cultural heritage and intangible cultural heritage (Okaro & Vlachopoulos, 2020). The core subject of these reviews centers around technologies and methods. Few researchers have examined ICH using the bibliometric research and systematic review approach, thus we set out to apply it to quantitatively analyze the literature on ICH in AR application and group the research subjects into clusters. It employs bibliometric analysis and systematic review methodologies to offer a comprehensive overview of the subject matter, ensuring a thorough exploration of AR's potential in preserving and experiencing ICH.
In recent times, bibliometric analyses frequently make use of significant factors including authors, nations, and keywords, and have emerged as a useful tool for ascertaining the future course of research in diverse domains (Moral-Muñoz et al., 2020). Indeed, scholarly discourse recognizes the value of bibliometric analyses as a guide to track advancements in specific fields of study for research direction (Sgambati & Gargiulo, 2022). The goal of the current research is to conduct an in-depth review of the initiatives taken from 2013 to the present to build AR programs aimed at promoting ICH through a bibliometric analysis and a systematic review. These research questions are the main emphasis of this study:
Q1: What are the challenges and issues of AR's application in ICH?
Q2: What is the current research trend of application in ICH?
Q3: What are the user engagement and experience with AR applications in ICH?