2008 International Workshop on Modelling, Simulation and Optimization

Research on Chinese Museum Design based on Virtual Reality

LIU Xia1 QIAO Jiangang2
(1. School of Material Engineering, Taiyuan Institute of Technology, Taiyuan 030008, China
2. School of Civil Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300131, China;
(Email : Liuxiaress@163.com)
issuance of information by web construction. [2] Second
usual technology of Virtual Reality is QuickTime
Virtual Reality which uses the real photographs to
create a panorama like as Art Museum in American.
But the newest virtual art museum in Berlin uses the
Virtual Reality Modeling Language, through the
collection of the files of 3D geometry, static pictures,
and animate films to realize the effect of reality and
interface. [3] All of them have a good effect, but until
today, in our country, these kinds of technologies still
not be used widely in the museum design, so there still
exist a lot of problems to research .

Abstract
In order to display nature and culture heritages to
human being, this paper based on the architectonics,
the principle of environment and space art, light
environment and color design and ecological
architecture, induces Virtual Reality into the display
design in museum. Through analyzing the definition
and the current situation of Virtual Reality applied in
the design of museum, produces to use separately
HTML text language, QuickTime Virtual Reality
technology, Virtual Reality Modeling Language and
three-dimension softwares to build up information
interface platform, total virtual space environment of
item on display and each model of item on display and
the discussion and studying system platform.
Eventually concludes the advantages of using virtual
reality in the display design of the museum and points
out a new method to develop modern interior design by
using the technology of Virtual Reality.

2. Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality, at the beginning of 90s was paid
attention by the researchers of all fields and used and
developed in commercial field. The character of this
kind of technology is that computer produces a sort of
virtual environment which can formed three-dimension
digital model through computer photograph and
produces a virtual environment by the computer. All of
them create a real feeling to make users immerse into
this kind of environment which be called as
Immersion. Virtual Reality usually is different with the
model created by CAD system and traditional threedimension animation. It is not a static world, is an open
and interface environment which can be monitored and
controlled by users, this kind of character also be
called as Interaction.
In addition, Virtual Reality is not only a
demonstration media, but also a kind of design tool. It
reflects the thought of designer by the form of vision.
Virtual Reality can transform the concept of designer
into a virtual object and environment which usually be
realized by traditional sand design model. This third
character of virtual reality-Imagination increases
dramatically the quality and effect of design to provide
a perfect scene by the digital means. [4]
Just due to above three characters of Virtual Reality,
it also be used in a lot of different fields to improve the
quality and decrease the cost and disadvantages, by the
meanwhile, provides a totally different experience to
users and a huge economic benefit.

1. Introduction
As a window to display the civilization of human
being, Museum takes a very important situation in our
daily life and social life. At the same time, with the
increasing of the demand of culture life and culture
architecture, the Chinese modern museums will
welcome their gold age [1]. The interior design of the
traditional Museums usually only be considered and
researched from the aspects of architecture, the
principle of environment and space art, light
environment and color design and ecological
architecture. But with the high technology
development, Virtual Reality will be utilized in the
field of interior design and points out a new view and
direction for the development of the modern museum.
Presently, the great mass of virtual museums
usually use HTML super text language to put all kinds
of materials such as pictures and text into website
which can help the users to inquire relative information
and browse website, such as the Louvre Museum in
France and the Imperial Palace in Taiwan, both of
them realize the display of their work pieces and the
978-0-7695-3484-8/08 $25.00 2008 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/WMSO.2008.31

372

construction of virtual display space must depend on

three virtual technologies, namely HTML, QuickTime
Virtual Reality and Virtual Reality Modeling
Language, through using the different technologies in
different situations, the visitors can appreciate and
experience the happy provided by Virtual Reality.

3. The design of virtual museum

The virtual display design of museum is a
translation between concrete space and virtual space in
the process of design and helps each other. Due to the
concrete space in the museum possess unsustainable
character, so it stands on a special situation in the
process of culture transmission and satisfying the
culture demand of the mass. Therefore, the virtual
display design in the museum will base on the
existence of the concrete space, use the virtual reality
technology to simulate the real thing in ancient time,
but it is not absolutely copy, and it creates a new kind
of museum with abundant imagination and based on
intercross of culture, tradition, history, geology,
anthropology and computer science . Through using
the different technologies of Virtual Reality such as
HTML text language, QuickTime Virtual Reality and
Virtual Reality Modeling Language in different
situation, combining other files to create reality and
interface effect. At the same time, such as picture 1,
provide audiences perfect routine from the beginning
to obtain information issuance, booking ticket from the

3.2The construction of information interaction

platform
The construction of information interaction platform
is easy to be realized comparing with other virtual
reality technology. Using present HTML and the
relative software such as Dreamweaver to build up
static or ASP dynamic information platform based on
interaction web. Through the inserting of pictures,
media and animation and super links, visitors can
inquire quickly the information about the interested
museum and book the tickets.

3.3The construction of virtual space

environment in summarization area of the
items on display
People like to participate and feel the beauty of
display space through the vision, hearing, and feeling
in the river of time. So as most important node, the
summarization area of the items on display takes the
action of transition from one space to another. Virtual
Reality and media technology such as computer image,
robotized control technology, big screen projection,
super thin TV screen and touching screen are used in
the display design to provide a method which can let
people to experience the real situation. For example,
we can not imagine the age of dinosaur, but through
the searches to literatures and archaeology materials,
we can use three-dimension software such as 3DMAX,
MAYA to simulate the environment characters of the
dinosaur age. [5] Or insert some relative pictures and
movies to enrich the space environment. Another
interesting way, through the rebuilding of organism
model and using the immersion system of Virtual
Reality, visitors can use the assistant establishments
like headpiece display to close the vision and hearing
in order to create a kind of illusion living in that age.
The users especially the children can enjoy the
experience that never has been met before to inspire
their interest to science.

Picture1 frame photograph of design

website to experience the virtual space in real museum

space in order to build an interaction museum space.

3.1The construction of virtual display space in

the museum design
We must firstly research the whole view and admire
routine of visitors in order to realize the perfect
construction of virtual display space in the museum
design. Based on the research to visitors from the
information issuance, booking tickets, visiting the
museum and items on the museum and finally
communication between different viewers, the

3.4The construction and display of the model

of item on display
Entering into the area of item on display, we can use
three dimension forms such as all kinds of sound, light

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and electricity to display the characters and visage of

items on display. Because the concrete items
sometimes can not be watched clear, we can use the
media to project them on the wall which avoids the real
items can not be watched from the different angles and
directions. [6] At the same time, with necessary
interaction operation and vary media measure like
sound, animation and text etc to performance the
function of items on display and operation. This kind
of way helps the ancient museum to display the items
through the combination of real and virtual digital
museums in the front of the visitors. Virtual display
design is a four dimension compliment to real museum
space which breaks the situation where people only can
look but can not touch it. Touchable vision can provide
a new method to display design of museum, and have a
better expression which helps visitors have a more
convenience and interesting routine and content.

3.5The
construction
platform

of

4. Conclusion
The technology of Virtual Reality is induced in the
display space of museum extend largely the capability
of information, and the visitors can obtain more
information through the connection between inner and
outside technology of virtual reality to share all kinds
of resources and save the space. The capacity of
information in museum not is constrained by the size
of museum and the runoff is increased according to
geometric series. At the same time, the virtual space
has larger freedom from the space environment; the
angle of view of the visitor, path and content, therefore
the virtual reality provides a real psychology
experience to people which can not be finished before.
The utilization of Virtual reality in the museum design
changes the bald, crude and passive situation in real
display and provides a humanization display space.
With the application of the technology of virtual reality
in interior design, it not only enriches the existence
space of human being, but also makes the living more
and more digital and colorful.

communication

After the visitors finish the visiting in the museum,

they will have a lot of thinking and feeling. So they
need a place and platform to communicate. The display
of Britain Telecom Company creates two different
areas trip and talking in order to satisfy visitors
communication demand. Talking area is a couple of
buildings with white and transparent surface, both of
them look like two persons talking each other. The
visitors can pass through the two building along the
two-double passageway in where can provide us a
perfect space to communicate with different corners of
the world. At the end of the trip, the visitors can write
the information such as email, web, and feeling and so
on in the light wall along the buildings to communicate
with other visitors. [7] The key of this kind of display is
its diversity and denseness. Through the visualization,
video and static pictures or the text written on the wall
or exhibition broad, the visitors can realize the
communication.

References
[1]Guo jing, The Developmental Research of the Chinese
Museum Interior Design, Jiangnan university, Wuxi, 2006,
pp. 23-30
[2] Liuxiang, architecture design based on the technology of
virtual reality, mechanic industry press,Beijing, 2004,pp.
35-46
[3]Wang niancan, Shen wanru, enter into virtual art
museum ,Taiwan National art university, Taiwan,
2007,pp.106-108
[4] Ruo guoshi, the research of display design about
virtual bronze culture museum, art school of Huangshi
science and technology institute,2007,pp.45-50
[5] Hu xiaoqiang, the technology of virtual reality, Beijing
University of post press, 2005pp.234-240
[6]Xiong jianxin, Zhilin,modern interior design,Wuhan
university of science and technology press,2005, pp.78-82
[7] L I Long, XIAN G Ming2shang , L IU Xian2mei , WAN
G Hui Construction of virtual campus environment and
implement of roam system Computer Science and
Engineering College ,Daqing Pet roleum 2003 ,27( 2) :56
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