Intangible Cultural Dance Preservation Using Virtual Reality 360-Degree Video

Virtual Reality provides users with an unparalleled sense of presence, making them feel as if they are physically present in the virtual environment. It enables the digital preservation of cultural artifacts and artworks beyond conventional methods. Cultural artworks including cultural dance that descended from ancestors are increasingly forgotten. The younger generation is unaware of the value of carrying on the predecessors' legacies. VR experiences through 360-degree video may encourage future generations to explore and learn about their cultural heritage. Thus, introducing a VR 360-degree video for cultural preservation is proposed in this study. This paper presents the usage of virtual reality, the development of 360-degree videos, and an evaluation study to determine how well young people might use the videos. The 360-degree VR video followed stepwise approach in video production processes from pre-production, production, and to post-production. A software usability scale (SUS) was adopted to assess how usable this video is among youngsters. Fifty participants were involved in the testing. The result showed that the 360-degree VR video has an acceptable level of usability. This study has generally demonstrated that virtual reality has a positive outcome that could result in a larger and more extensive deployment for cultural heritage preservation activities.