Junkun Long | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Whispers of the Butterfly: A Research-through-Design Exploration of In-Situ Conversational AI Guidance in Large-Scale Outdoor MR Exhibitions

Large-scale outdoor mixed reality (MR) art exhibitions distribute curated virtual works across open public spaces, but interpretation rarely scales without turning exploration into a scripted tour. Through Research-through-Design, we created Dream-Butterfly, an in-situ conversational AI docent embodied as a small non-human companion that visitors summon for multilingual, exhibition-grounded explanations. We deployed Dream-Butterfly in a large-scale outdoor MR exhibition at a public university campus in southern China, and conducted an in-the-wild between-subject study (N=24) comparing a primarily human-led tour with an AI-led tour while keeping staff for safety in both conditions. Combining questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, we characterize how shifting the primary explanation channel reshapes explanation access, perceived responsiveness, immersion, and workload, and how visitors negotiate responsibility handoffs among staff, the AI guide, and themselves. We distill transferable design implications for configuring mixed human-AI guiding roles and embodying conversational agents in mobile, safety-constrained outdoor MR exhibitions.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2023

AR.S.Space: An AR Casual Game for Social Engagement in Work Environments

In social situations, individuals often encounter communication challenges, particularly when adapting to new environments. While some studies have acknowledged the potential of AR social games to aid in effective socialization to some extent, little attention has been given to AR HMD-based games specifically designed to facilitate social interactions. In response, we propose AR.S.Space, an AR HMD-based social game that employs augmented reality features to engage users with virtual social agents through asynchronous communication. The game aims to mitigate the unease associated with initial social interactions and foster long-term connections. To assess its efficacy, a user study was conducted within a specific scenario (an office space), gathering quantitative data and qualitative feedback through questionnaires and interviews. The findings highlight the game's potential to enhance socialization in small-scale environments. Moreover, the study offers valuable design guidelines for future research and the application of AR social games in similar settings.

cs.HC↗