Augmented Reality seems a promising tool to provide engaging and effective educational experiences, thanks to its potentiality in stimulating intrinsic motivation, that could influence the learning process and the attitude of the users towards behaviours. This paper presents the Resized Plastic Augmented Reality learning experience, designed on the basis of Dunleavy's framework to provide a systemic overview of the microplastics issue to allow users to understand its mechanisms, educate them about their role in the system and help them to connect this information to their everyday actions.

In the last years, interactive exhibitions based on digital technologies have become widely common, thanks to their flexibility and effectiveness in engaging visitors and creating memorable experiences. One of the topics in which digital technologies can be particularly effective is the communication of abstract concepts that are difficult for the human mind to imagine. An emblematic example is the astronomy discipline, which requires us to imagine and understand phenomena far away from our everyday life. In this paper, the authors present a research project, MARSS, in which digital technologies are used effectively to enhance the Users’ Experience of the Museo Astronomico di Brera located in Milan. Specifically, the MARSS project aims at designing and developing a new digital journey inside the museum to allow different categories of visitors to enjoy the exhibition in an engaging and interactive way. The paper presents the design and development phases of the experience and its evaluation with users. The results of the evaluation indicate that the digital interactive experience is appreciated by users and is successful in translating the content of high scientific value into more engaging and easily understandable elements.

Product serialization design is an effective method for product family development. To explore the development law of product serialization, the kansei image change law within the series, and the interaction mechanisms of kansei image and form between the series, this paper proposes an evolutionary design method of product form inspired by Spider-webs. Inspired by the special structure and mechanical properties of Spider-webs in nature, at the macro level, we use the structure of the Spider-webs to describe the relationship between products in the product family. At the micro level, based on the mechanical properties of spiderwebs, we analyzed the development law of the product form within and between the series in the product family and then proposed a calculation method for the crossover coefficient and variation coefficient (in the genetic algorithm) for product form evolution. This method provides a scientific basis for determining the crossover coefficient and the variation coefficient from a new perspective. The case study results show that this model can effectively simulate the changing laws of design cognition and the evolution laws of product form, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the intelligent design of product form in a product family.

A research area of interest is that one concerning the design of solutions for improving the life conditions of users in extreme environmental situations. An example is the spacecraft environment, where astronauts are subject to particular conditions, due to the extreme environment. The isolated and confined environment influences behaviors and perceptions. This situation can impact both on astronauts’ moods, cause states of depression, and impact on their performance in working activities. A spacecraft can be the Space Station orbiting the Earth, or future means of transportation used for travelling to other planets. In both cases the space should be designed so as to offer the best possible living and working conditions to the astronauts. The research presented in this paper aims at designing and developing a multisensory VR system for the entertainment and the relaxation of astronauts. The use of VR technology allows us to overcome physical and psychological boundaries of the confined space, which is typical in a spacecraft environment. The sense of smell, which is more linked to visceral emotions than the other senses and can affect various aspects of humans’ physiological and psychological conditions, is used to improve astronauts’ productivity and concentration, and also to relieve their stress and anxiety.

As the Metaverse gains popularity due to its use in various industries, so does the desire to take advantage of all its potential. While visual and audio technologies already provide access to the Metaverse, there is increasing interest in haptic and olfactory technologies, which are less developed and have been studied for a shorter time. Currently, there are limited options for users to experience the olfactory aspect of the Metaverse. This paper introduces an open-source kit that makes it simple to add the sense of smell to the Metaverse. The details of the solution, including its technical specifications, are outlined to enable potential users to utilize, test, and enhance the project and make it available to the scientific community.