Outreach - 2023
I began my PhD in 2023, and in my first project, I collaborated with a student to develop Scottish Bonspiel VR, a virtual revival of the ``Grand Match,'' a traditional Scottish outdoor curling event that disappeared due to ice melt. We had the opportunity to showcase this VR experience at the Deutsche Museum - Festival of the Future 2023.
I followed up by conducting a user study and publishing a paper titled Evaluating Usability and Engagement of Large Language Models in Virtual Reality for Traditional Scottish Curling. The paper was accepted at the ECCV 2024 AI4DH workshop, where I presented my work in Milan.
Additionally, I received funding from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) to run a one-week project titled ``Safeguarding Bavarian Beer Heritage: Immersive Virtual Beer Tour with AI.'' Students participated in a guided brewery tour to learn about Bavarian beer traditions, such as the Purity Law, and current market challenges. Afterward, we developed a quick VR prototype where participants created their own beer following traditional processes, with an AI-powered judge evaluating the market value of each beer. The project aimed to demonstrate how VR can offer immersive experiences when physical access is limited, as well as the potential and limitations of using such technologies for informal education.