Michelle B. Xu

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Monet's Museum


Accessibility｜ Virtual Reality｜Spatial Audio

Monet's Museum is an accessible XR experience for low vision individuals, 
blending spatial audio, adaptive visuals, and tactile interaction to reimagine how art is experienced inclusively.

Time：
June  2024
Tools：
  • Unreal Engine
  • Blender
  • Meta Quest 3
  • Luma AI

Skills：
  • VR Development
  • Spatial Audio


Selected Exhibitions and Presentations
  • 2024 Cornell XR Access Symposium, New York, June  2024





                                                                                                                                                                   Project Overview



Museum Space
Spatial Sound
Audio Description

Monet's Museum is an XR project designed for individuals with low vision, reimagining accessibility in digital museum spaces. Inspired by Monet’s impressionistic style, the project employs spatial audio, high-contrast visuals, and adaptive color settings to enhance user experience. Visitors navigate through immersive exhibits using binaural sound cues, experiencing art in a tactile and inclusive way. By integrating technologies like color inversion and autonomous exposure control, Monet's Museum creates a multisensory environment that not only makes art more accessible but also redefines how museums can engage with diverse audiences, bridging the gap between traditional art and inclusive digital innovation.


  • Multisensory Engagement:
    Create an immersive environment that combines spatial audio, tactile feedback, and adaptive visuals to accommodate diverse sensory needs.
  • Customizable User Experience:
    Provide options for users to adjust settings like color contrast, brightness, and audio guidance, catering to varying degrees of visual impairment.
  • Seamless Navigation:
    Leverage spatial audio and intuitive interaction mechanisms to ensure independent navigation without relying on traditional visual cues.
  • Collaborative Design:
    Involve low vision users in the design process to ensure the experience is relevant, user-friendly, and meets their specific needs.
  • Educational and Emotional Impact:
    Enable meaningful engagement with art by reimagining how it is experienced, fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging in cultural spaces.
  • Scalable Accessibility:
    Develop a framework that can be applied to other XR projects and museum experiences to promote universal design principles across the industry.

3D Spatial Audio


In VR, spatial audio enhances accessibility for low vision groups by providing directional sound cues that aid navigation and interaction within virtual environments. This immersive audio technology compensates for visual limitations, enabling users to perceive spatial relationships, locate objects, and explore virtual spaces independently. By creating a multisensory experience, spatial audio ensures inclusivity and fosters engagement for individuals with low vision in VR settings.


Challenges and Solutions

Challenges:

  • Creating Intuitive Navigation for Low Vision Users: Ensuring users can navigate the virtual space without relying on traditional visual cues can be complex.
  • Balancing Aesthetic and Accessibility: Incorporating adaptive visuals while maintaining the artistic integrity of Monet’s style.
  • Technical Limitations of XR Devices: XR hardware might have constraints on color contrast, audio fidelity, or multisensory feedback.
  • User Experience Design for Diverse Needs: Catering to varying degrees of visual impairment and individual preferences.
  • Lack of Inclusive Testing Frameworks: Difficulties in involving low vision users early in the development process for feedback.

Solutions:

  • Spatial Audio Integration: Use binaural and spatial soundscapes to guide users through the environment intuitively.
  • Customizable Visual Settings: Implement features like high contrast modes, adjustable brightness, and color inversion tailored to users' needs.
  • Leverage Advanced XR Capabilities: Use devices with robust audio-visual capabilities and optimize performance for inclusivity.
  • Iterative User-Centered Design: Collaborate with low vision users in every stage of development to refine accessibility and usability.
  • Build Inclusive Testing Pipelines: Partner with accessibility organizations to test the experience with diverse user groups and gather actionable insights.

Presentation  Video