Leveraging Digitized Heritage Technologies for Smart Fruition: Heritage Understanding and Enhancement Framework

Abstract

Digitized heritage is regarded as an emerging field, with existing studies primarily focusing on one case study, technological aspect, or a methodological approach. Thus, there remains a notable gap in the literature regarding the understanding of how these technologies and methodologies can be utilized in smart heritage fruition. Approaches that harness technological advancements to enhance the decision-making process regarding the use of appropriate methodology at various heritage sites remain insufficiently explored. To address this gap, this study conducted a cross-case analysis to survey the use of heritage technologies across selected cases to find underlying trends and correlations related to the scale and methodology used. The findings of this study provide insights into the nexus of technology integration into heritage fruition, highlighting the role of tangible heritage documentation technologies. The present study concludes that smart fruition framework necessitates an ongoing process involving the integration of cultural heritage data, digital documentation, management, enhancement methodologies, and the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT facilitates the connectivity of physical items to the internet thereby supporting the understanding of heritage knowledge. Such framework operates through a collaboration platform that engages experts, local communities, and tourists to ensure a meaningful and interactive interconnection.