The Buddhist scriptures carved into the Borobudur Temple reliefs are presented in 2D form, but they do not yet have a corresponding 3D visual interpretation. The condition of the Borobudur reliefs is significantly degraded due to exposure to weather, human touch, and natural weathering, making it difficult for ordinary people to understand and identify the visual appearance of the reliefs. The aim of this research is to find a spatial interpretation method that can be used as an alternative in identifying the spatial layout of the reliefs from existing methods and to design 3D works from the spatial interpretation results. The research method used is the interpretation of relief images into a 3D point of view. Spatial interpretation uses the Formal Linear Perspective method with the height of the character in the relief as a reference for measuring the distance to other characters. As a result, the researchers found a way to calculate distance using the Formal Linear Perspective method. The researchers implemented the distance calculation results into 3D form. All 3D objects are created using sculpting techniques which are then made into lowpoly shapes and rendered images. The result of this research is 3D relief renderings of Borobudur Temple which has implemented spatial interpretation.

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Contemporary audiovisual works based on computer programming often display a high degree of interactivity between sound and image. Due to their widely acknowledged abstract and nonnarrative nature, such creations pose a challenge to classical narratology, which is primarily based on traditional plot structures. In response, poststructuralist thought offers a new analytical path: it shifts the focus from universal textual structures to how a text creates a dynamic, context-specific experience for the viewer—defined here as "narrativity." This focus on "experience" necessitates an examination of the mechanisms that effectively trigger a viewer's personal memory and cultural interpretation. This paper argues that the aesthetics of "ruin" constitutes such a powerful mechanism. Therefore, taking the audiovisual project Are You Still Moving Forward as its main case study, this paper aims to dissect how the imagery of ruins operates within the work to generate its unique narrative potential. Ultimately, this study not only illuminates the artistic value of the specific work but also demonstrates the efficacy of a poststructuralist perspective in understanding non-traditional narrative forms in contemporary media.

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This paper examines the imperfections of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated results and the otherness of AI in the authorship of art through discussions of the works of three authors from different cultural backgrounds, who all work with both generative AI and traditional mediums. Throughout history, many artists have tapped into our deepest anxieties, stirring a sense of otherworldliness. Their images often evoke profound and visceral responses, and they linger in our minds long after seeing them. Artists have attempted to create such images in various ways, including intentionally subjecting themselves to extreme physical or mental states or using chance and randomness to guide their creative process. Art that embraces the uneasy and alien feeling not only reflects our inner world but also actively invites us to search for meanings in the imagery. The recent emergence of generative AI has made image creation accessible to an unprecedented degree. However, the generated results, especially with models from the early stages of technology's development, often have peculiar outputs, characterized by a strange, jarring conceptual disconnect between visual elements and have absence of coherent narratives. These peculiar AI-generated images frequently presented viewers with seemingly familiar yet subtly alien elements that triggered a sense of uncanniness and created an unsettling valley between the known and the unknown. The imperfections also reveal the fundamental difference between human creativity and generative AI. Furthermore, the rapid advancement of generative AI in recent years has provoked debates concerning the authenticity and ownership of AI-synthesized visual content and the value of art in our society. The artworks discussed in this paper will be presented in an upcoming exhibition in 2026 with the same title as this paper, and we hope to present a tangible representation of the ideas examined in this paper.

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Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have significantly expanded opportunities for AI-human communication. Concurrently, virtual reality (VR) technologies enable interactions that simulate shared physical spaces. The convergence of these technologies suggests imminent growth in AI-human interactions within VR environments. As AI dialogue capabilities approach human-like proficiency, distinguishing between AI and human interlocutors in avatar-mediated VR communication may become increasingly challenging. This raises fundamental questions regarding human perception of AI and appropriate interaction paradigms. Our research addresses these questions by investigating AI-human communication in VR environments, specifically focusing on personal space (PS) characteristics during such interactions. We conducted a 2×2 between-participants experiment (N = 76) manipulating two factors: avatar identity (perceived as AI or Human) and conversation presence (Conversation or No Conversation). Importantly, we defined avatar identities based on participants’ perceptions rather than the actual identity of the avatar’s operator. In this experiment, all participants actually interacted with an AI, irrespective of whether they were assigned to the ‘AI’ or ‘Human’ condition. They were led to believe they were interacting with the entity corresponding to their assigned condition through experimental instructions and procedures. Our findings suggest a potentially unconscious extension of human social norms to AI entities in immersive environments, particularly concerning PS. This interpretation is supported by the result that no significant differences in PS were found based on perceived avatar identities. This lack of difference suggests that humans may, at least in this context, apply similar social-psychological frameworks to AI as they do to human interlocutors. Furthermore, participants maintained significantly smaller PS in conditions involving active ‘Conversation’ compared to those with ‘No Conversation’. This result indicates that active communication itself is a powerful factor in reducing interpersonal distance requirements, regardless of whether the interlocutor is perceived as human or AI, with important implications for avatar-based spatial design in VR environments.

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One method of identifying a person's personality and mental state is the TAT (Thematic Appreciation Test). The TAT is a method of having a person create stories based on presented images, and it can express a person's unconscious. However, TAT is not easy to use because it is based on a conversation between a person and an expert, and therefore, it has not been used much. We have developed an AI-TAT system that uses AI to replace experts and can identify a person's personality and mental state through dialogue with the AI. We also evaluated the system using an online experiment with 30 subjects and obtained promising results. In addition, we compared the use of still images and videos as TAT diagrams and verified the effect of repeated use.

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This study investigates the mobile application experiences of visually impaired individuals in Singapore through an exploratory qualitative design with 12 participants. It examines usability barriers and enablers in gesture-based navigation, non-visual information delivery, and the emotional impacts of inaccessible design. In-depth interviews revealed five themes: (1) reliance on screen readers limited by inconsistent app design; (2) navigation difficulties from unpredictable interfaces; (3) cognitive overload from cluttered layouts and unlabelled elements; (4) emotional strain linked to loss of independence, anxiety, and frustration; and (5) the influence of Singapore’s digital ecosystem and institutional practices. Thematic analysis highlighted critical gaps where essential services such as food delivery and banking remain inaccessible. Recommendations include standardising gestures, simplifying navigation, integrating audio and haptic feedback, and enabling voice commands. Beyond technical fixes, the study underscores the need for participatory design, localisation of global guidelines, and supportive policies. Findings call for a human-centred approach that prioritises clarity, consistency, and emotional well-being, concluding that accessibility requires empathy, local context, and ongoing collaboration. This work offers a framework for inclusive app development in Singapore and points to broader, long-term research on the emotional and behavioural impacts of accessible design.

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Hybrid image synthesis techniques leverage human visual perception to combine two source images, creating a visual illusion in which one is seen at close range and the other from a distance. In this paper, we extend these techniques to hybrid moving images and report findings from a user study evaluating their effectiveness. While the perceptual properties of hybrid images are well established, to our knowledge, they have only been applied to still images, aside from our preliminary experiments. Our results indicate that the techniques can be applied to moving images with similar perceptual effects. However, the effective viewing distances are generally narrower in hybrid moving images. The findings also suggest that greater care is needed when synthesizing hybrid moving images, as the high-frequency image (visible at close range) is harder to perceive. Furthermore, we compared two established hybrid image synthesis methods—Oliva’s original and Sripian’s extended techniques—to assess whether Sripian’s advantage with still images carries over. The results suggest that the advantage of the longer perceivable distance of the HF image in hybrid still images may diminish or disappear in hybrid moving images.

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This study proposes a low-cost experimental method for evaluating 3D scanning meshes, using LiDAR and photogrammetry as case studies. The proposed method includes the design of an evaluation function to assess the fidelity of digitized objects through multiple stages, such as 3D printing, reprinting, and rescanning. To enable accurate comparisons at each stage, both manual and ICP (Iterative Closest Point) alignment techniques are used, and the Hausdorff distance is used as a key metric for quantifying accuracy. Using a Barong sculpture from Indonesia as a case study, the study evaluates the performance of LiDAR and photogrammetry in terms of both accuracy and visual consistency. The designed evaluation function yielded logically valid results for both LiDAR and photogrammetry. However, the findings also indicate that visual appearance does not always correlate with scan accuracy, and the limited number of evaluation samples remains a challenge. This study highlights the potential of consumer-grade technologies in supporting cultural heritage preservation and presents a practical method for assessing scanning workflows, offering valuable insights for future applications in digital archiving and artifact documentation.

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Since the inception of computers and the World Wide Web, the formulation of an effective Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been the most challenging task. To enhance overall interactivity, an ensemble of icons and symbols has been arrived at to complement the language-dependent textual prompts. This seemingly simple, language-independent iconography has evolved after years of thorough research and meticulous user studies. However, the process of formulating an icon for any specific function has always been fraught with risks, as the interpretation of icons can pose difficulties. While some users may decode them easily, others might find them confusing. People belonging to myriad walks of society, culture, national and regional identities see and comprehend differently. In today’s time, although thousands of icons and symbols exist, the confusion and complications are increasing because of the varied understanding of the end user and the constant dynamism of virtual systems. The genesis of this research is deep-rooted in re-examining the modern-day digital iconography. Has any common-to-all understanding evolved globally? Are some icons more popular than others? If so, then what are the reasons for their wide acceptance? Are the existing icons sufficient for our present-day needs, and are they adequate to address our future demands? This research investigates the iconographic efficacy of 28 commonly used functions and their equivalent web interface icons through user studies involving 76 digitally literate individuals aged between 18–65 years from contemporary urban India. The findings help us not only to decode the underlying complex relationships but also to understand why some icons trigger an immediate visual connect while others simply fail to click.

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As virtual reality applications expand across educational, social, and professional domains, understanding how cultural factors influence user comfort in virtual environments becomes increasingly important. This study examines the impact of cultural background, gender, avatar appearance, and avatar animation on personal space preferences in virtual reality environments. We conducted a cross-cultural experiment involving 57 participants from Japan (25 international students) and Thailand (32 Thai students), who interacted with three avatar types (Man, Woman, Robot) performing various animations. Participant responses were measured through discomfort ratings and heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring, capturing both subjective and physiological reactions to virtual proximity violations. Results demonstrated significant effects of avatar appearance and animation on discomfort levels, with the Man avatar and both-hand facial contact producing the highest discomfort ratings. Clear cultural and gender differences emerged from the data. Thai participants consistently felt more uncomfortable than non-Thai participants across all virtual interactions. Similarly, female participants were more sensitive to personal space violations than male participants. Physiological measurements revealed interesting cultural patterns: Thai participants maintained elevated stress responses throughout the virtual encounters, whereas non-Thai participants exhibited brief stress spikes that rapidly returned to normal levels. These findings suggest that cultural norms regarding personal space persist in virtual environments and manifest in both conscious ratings and unconscious physiological responses. The results have practical implications for designing culturally sensitive virtual reality applications, particularly as VR becomes more prevalent in global educational and collaborative contexts. Understanding these cultural variations is crucial for creating inclusive virtual environments that cater to diverse user populations.

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This paper proposes a hermeneutic model for digital art practice, developed through a comprehensive review and reflection on a cross-disciplinary performance project that integrates digital technology, visual art, and classical music. The project centered on the visualization of René Magritte’s artworks within a live concert setting, employing digital technologies not as spectacle, but as subtle and flexible mediators that could bridge artistic disciplines. While the musical compositions were pre-selected and the visual references predetermined, the central challenge of the project lay in the interpretive task: how to deeply understand both media to enable meaningful technological mediation and construct a coherent and immersive experience for the audience. This study translates the praxeological insights from our collaborative creative process into a hermeneutic model designed to inform and inspire future cross-disciplinary artistic practices. By emphasizing the interpretation of distinct layers – elementary, semiotic, rhetorical, contextual, and speculative – the model enables artists and designers to articulate a shared metaphorical framework across disciplines. This layered approach offers a vocabulary through which technology, music, and visual art can engage in mutual dialogue during the compositional process. In parallel, the hermeneutic framework is positioned as a philosophical response to issues of authenticity in digital art. As digital reproduction and AI-generated media increasingly permeate artistic domains, questions surrounding meaning, authorship, and originality demand new theoretical grounding. Our model argues that, through thoughtful, critical, and creative interpretation, even technologically mediated works – such as reproductions or reinterpretations – can retain or generate philosophical and aesthetic depth. Rather than diminishing authenticity, digital media, when guided by reflective hermeneutic practice, can serve to extend the expressive potential of traditional art forms in ways that remain conceptually grounded and artistically coherent.

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The COVID-19 pandemic forced many academic conferences to transition from in-person to virtual formats, in- creasing the use of VR social platforms. In virtual poster presentations, multiple users occupy the same space and talk simultaneously, often resulting in overlapping audio. Most VR social platforms maintain a uniform vol- ume for all users, regardless of position, leading to discomfort and reduced audibility. While some platforms attempt to simulate real-world audio by adjusting volume based on distance, we argue that directly replicating the real-world setting may not always provide the best user experience in the Metaverse. To address this chal- lenge, we developed two new audio models: the Area Model, which restricts audio to designated regions, and the Directional Model, which adjusts volume based on the user’s facing direction. These two models break the barrier of real-world audio to provide a special way to improve audibility for multiple simultaneous voices. The two proposed audio models are evaluated together with the two existing models by analyzing user comfort and level of understanding in the presentation content. To assess the comfort level, we used subjective question- naires and physiological data. Results indicate that our new proposed models could promote focus and audibility. These findings highlight the potential of advanced VR audio systems to improve immersion and usability in virtual environments.

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We propose a design support system for manually creating string art based on user-selected images. The system consists of three main components: pin placement, thread sequencing, and rendering. Pins are arranged along image contours using key points and parametric sampling, and thread sequencing is guided by a primitive-based assignment method. The user interface enables interactive, trial-and-error design exploration. We demonstrate that the system can generate multiple design variations from several simple input images. Informal experiments confirmed that the system allows beginners to create physical string art using printed guides. By separating virtual design from manual fabrication, the system improves production efficiency and facilitates the sharing of design templates.

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This paper explores pareidolia-driven methods for supporting the early stages of game character visual form ideation. Conventional workflows in game character design often depend on predetermined anatomical templates or large reference libraries, which can narrow conceptual diversity and promote creative convergence. We treat visual entropy as a controllable design property for sparking rapid form exploration, broadening interpretive possibilities, and reducing reliance on fixed models. Using controlled studies with participants of varied drawing proficiency, we examine four approaches: (1) traditional inkblots generated by Rorschach-style folding; (2) a figure-blot flip-book method created from anthropomorphic stencils and segmented to enable repeatable, combinatorial character construction; (3) a mirrored crumpled-paper method that lets participants discover dynamic symmetrical forms in real time; and (4) a digital visual-grammar system built from entropy- calibrated vector shapes on a collaborative whiteboard platform. All tasks were time-boxed, and stimuli were systematically varied by symmetry, contour clarity, and entropy level to assess effects on ideation fluency, interpretive diversity, and efficiency. Findings show that mid-entropy stimuli with partial symmetry consistently elicit faster and more varied humanoid and creature-like concepts, achieving an optimal balance between recognizability and ambiguity. High-entropy variants tended to induce perceptual overload, leading participants to engage in surface-level exploration without conceptual anchoring, whereas low-entropy variants encouraged generic outcomes. The flip-book scaffold accelerated recognition and variation under constraints; the crumpled-paper method supported embodied discovery but required longer search; and the digital system offered a low-skill, collaborative entry point. By operationalizing pareidolia through these four methods, this study reframes it from a perceptual curiosity into a deliberate design mechanism. The results contribute a stimulus- centered framework and a set of accessible, entropy-tuned tools that support early-stage form generation in game character design, reduce dependency on anatomical references, and enable speculative, genre-flexible concept development in both professional and educational contexts.

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