Inclusion Meets Innovation: New Research Project Launched at H-BRS

With the project Sensorium+: Inclusive Museum Landscapes through AI-Enhanced Reality, a pioneering research initiative has been launched at the beginning of the year at the Institute of Visual Computing (IVC) of Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. The project aims to make museum experiences accessible and multisensory for all visitor groups through the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), regardless of individual needs or impairments.

H-BRS Forschungsdatenbank

How can museums of the future reach all people—regardless of personal limitations or language barriers? The Sensorium+ project addresses this question directly. Since the beginning of the year, the IVC has been working together with the Hennef-based company VAGO Solutions GbR on an intelligent AR platform that enables exhibitions to be experienced in an interactive, multisensory, and inclusive manner.

The innovative initiative is funded as a collaborative R&D project within the framework of the Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) vom Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK). The overarching goal is to develop new technologies that foster cultural participation—while fostering close collaboration between business, academia, and society.

Potentieller Besucher im Deutschen Museum, konfrontiert mit Zugänglichkeitsbarrieren

Sensorium+ is thus creating an interactive, inclusive, and forward-looking concept for the cultural education of tomorrow—technologically innovative, socially relevant, and firmly committed to accessibility.

But that’s not all: the AR platform also combines visual content with auditory cues and tactile feedback—enabled through specially developed hardware attached to the AR headset. This results in an immersive museum experience tailored to diverse user needs, making cultural content newly accessible—even for individuals with visual impairments or motor limitations.

The technology is being tested and refined in close cooperation with experienced practice partners:
The Deutsches Museum Bonn serves as a real-world testing ground for the developed systems. The Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverein Bonn/Rhein-Sieg e.V. contributes valuable user perspectives to the development process. The Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) provides expert guidance and is evaluating options for further funding. In addition, the KI Bundesverband, through its subsidiary Academy for Artificial Intelligence GmbH, supports the project’s nationwide communication and networking efforts.

Sensorium+ is creating an interactive, inclusive, and forward-looking concept for the cultural education of tomorrow – technologically innovative, socially relevant, and fully committed to participation and accessibility.

Contact

20221107_fbinf_Kruijff_Ernst_Portrait_Kira_Wazinski_003

Ernst Kruijff

Professor for Human Computer Interaction, Co-Director Institute of Visual Computing (IVC)

ernst.kruijff@h-brs.de

Location

Sankt Augustin

Room

C 273

Address

Grantham-Allee 20

53757, Sankt Augustin

Telephone

+49 2241 865 9616

Prof. Dr Ernst Kruijff