Users as Craftspeople: Demonstrating Traditional Crafts using Interactive Immersive Virtual Reality

Digital demonstrations of traditional crafts through Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) are an invaluable tool for traditional craftsmanship preservation. Such demonstrations are experienced either passively, where users observe 3D animations of craftspeople operating tools and machines, or actively, with users acting as craftspeople interacting with tools and machines themselves. This work presents the design and development process of two IVR traditional crafts demonstrations showcasing the production processes of Ouzo, a Greek alcoholic drink, and Mastic, the resin obtained from the Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), as carried out at the Greek North Aegean islands of Lesvos and Chios respectively. Our approach treats users as craftspeople allowing them to perform several interactions with tools and machines. An expert evaluation revealed a number of aspects which should be investigated in the future to further increase the quality of experience in IVR traditional crafts demonstrations.