The Development of a Virtual Reality Museum for the Kamphaeng Phet Provincial Museum, Chaloem Phrakiat (Thai House Museum)

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a virtual museum system using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to enhance access to cultural information. The research methodology consisted of five steps: (1) Preliminary data collection, which included reviewing relevant documents, research studies, and interviewing curators of the Thai-style house museum; (2) System design, utilizing Data and Process Models and designing user interfaces (UI/UX); (3) System development, using Autodesk Maya to create 3D models and Unity to develop the virtual environment for the Thai-style house museum; (4) Testing and evaluation, conducted with five museum curators and 30 youth participants aged 15–24 years from Kamphaeng Phet Province. Data were collected using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and open-ended questions to gather additional feedback; and (5) Analysis and conclusion using descriptive statistics.

The findings revealed that users were "highly satisfied" with the system (mean score = 3.81), particularly regarding the content and clarity of 3D visuals. However, the realism of the visuals requires further improvement. Recommendations from this study include integrating interactive features such as pop-up windows with audio descriptions and gamified activities to enhance user engagement. Additionally, it is suggested to develop the system to be compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to improve accessibility and meet the needs of users in the digital age.