Visualization and Interaction Techniques in Virtual Reality for Guided Tours

This paper examines different techniques for visualization and interaction in virtual tours. It provides a case study and best-practice application that guides visitors through the Konzerthaus Berlin using virtual reality (VR) and conveys historical and architectural insights of the building. One of the key focus points of the research was the development of a natural 3D environment that would allow a visualization of historical photographs and video snippets. A preliminary user study was conducted to find the right balance between a static narrated part of the tour and an interactive part that offers free exploration by the user. Finally, we propose a revised user interaction in VR controlled by the user's head orientation.