“I Can Feel It in My Hand”: Exploring Design Opportunities for Tangible Interfaces to Manipulate Artefacts in AR

This paper shows how generic proxies as tangible interfaces can provide an intuitive and realistic interaction method to manipulate artefacts in AR. The domain we selected was cultural heritage, specifically the interaction with historical artefacts. We explored four interfaces: 1) a standard touch screen using a web 3D viewer, 2) a traditional flat AR marker, 3) a generic wooden cylinder, and 4) a 3D-printed replica of the digital artefact. Our results show that a 3D-printed replica represents the most realistic interaction method to manipulate artefacts in AR. However, we further found that using a generic object such as the cylinder can deliver a more immersive experience, offering an advantage over the standard touch screen and flat AR marker. As high-fidelity physical objects can be costly to produce. We argue that a more generic physical proxy is a feasible middle ground when 3D-printed replicas are not viable. We then discuss design opportunities for using generic objects to explore different artefacts in AR.