Experiencing AR in Staged Entertainment

Head-mounted AR displays has been around for some time now, yet its use in live-performances has been limited. Staged performances are often carried out as usual: with performers, sound, and a light show. In order to bring AR to the mainstream stage, more research is required. This is evident from the attention that this research project received from the industry. The researchers were asked to present the final outcomes of the project during the Eurosonic 2023 Conference together with the Effenaar and Warner Music Benelux.

The study was carried out to learn more about how an AR-enriched dance performance can be  created, and how audiences at a venue and at home experience these performances.

To investigate this, an original 10-minute choreography was created by two professional dancers. Also, an AR platform was built to provide an augmented layer on top of this performance. In turn, four research groups were created. The first group saw the performance live with AR, the second group live without AR, the third group saw the performance at home with AR, and the last group at home without AR.

The impact of the AR layer was measured on two levels. The experienced emotion (measured through physiological skin conductance as well as pre/post self-evaluation), as well as the willingness to recommend the performance.

The provided AR layer did improve the at home experience, however was unable to elevate the live experience. This is arguably due to the lack of congruence between the AR content and the live performance. Therefore, the technology and design need to be improved if we want AR to positively affect live performances as well.

Follow-up research is planned for 2023. Read the full article in this link.