"Heart Flows with Zen": Exploring Multi-Modal Mixed Reality to Promote the Inheritance and Experience of Cultural Heritage.
Wenchen Guo, Zhirui Chen, Guoyu Sun, Hailiang Wang
IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics November 2025 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2025.3616750 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative user evaluation Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 51 |
| Population | Users participating in a comparative evaluation of the mixed reality system |
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | The mixed reality system "Flowing with Zen" was associated with greater user engagement and interest, enhanced aesthetic appreciation and cultural understanding, and increased accessibility of Zen compared with a comparison condition, according to the authors' comparative evaluation with 51 participants. |
Abstract
The preservation of cultural heritage (CH) is a complex and promising field. Driven by technological advancements, digitization has emerged as a crucial approach for revitalizing tangible/intangible cultural heritage (TCH/ICH). However, current research and practice remain limited in their exploration of abstract forms of ICH, such as traditional philosophies and ideologies. In this study, utilizing Zen as a context, we designed an immersive mixed reality (MR) experience system, Flowing with Zen, based on formative study and cultural symbol analysis. The MR system integrates multi-modal interfaces, motion capture, environmental sensing, and generative computing, enabling users to engage with four scenarios through meditation, life appreciation, and experiential Zen practice, providing the embodied experience of Zen. Comparative user evaluation (N = 51) revealed that the MR system has significant advantages in eliciting engagement and interest from users, enhancing their aesthetic appreciation and cultural understanding, and increasing the accessibility of Zen. Our research proposes a novel approach and design inspiration for the digital inheritance of abstract ICH.