A See-Through Display for Interactive Museum Showcases

We present a prototype of an interactive showcase for museum exhibits that exploits a multi-touch see-through display screen. The transparent display makes it possible to superimpose an overlay of digital information while observing the physical object behind the screen. We developed an application that allows visitors to tell their experience with the object as well as to introduce comments on other visitors contributions. Our goal is to engage users in the creation of digital narratives with cultural heritage artifacts, thus constructing new layers of meaning that are parallel to the official ones provided by curators. Results from a formative study give promising feedbacks on the usefulness, novelty and attractiveness of the prototype.