THEMATIC SESSION #08
AI-driven, Interactive, virtual and conversational agents in Cultural Heritage
ORGANIZED BY
Davide Borra
Davide Borra
No Real Interactive
Giovanni D'Errico
Giovanni D'Errico
University of Salento
Ersilia Vallefuoco
Ersilia Vallefuoco
University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Carola Gatto
Carola Gatto
University of Salento
THEMATIC SESSION DESCRIPTION
The integration of Extended Reality (XR) technologies with artificial intelligence is opening new avenues for the Cultural Heritage domain, transforming how audiences interact with museums, archaeological sites, and historical narratives. This session explores the emerging role of conversational avatars, AI-driven, interactive digital agents, as tools for education, engagement, and interpretation in cultural heritage contexts.
We invite contributions that examine the design, implementation, and evaluation of conversational avatars, including topics such as: immersive storytelling, multilingual interaction, digital empathy, accessibility, user experience, and ethical considerations. Case studies from museums, heritage sites, and virtual reconstructions are especially welcome, highlighting both technological innovation and the human-centered impact of these systems.
Furthermore, we welcome contributions that explore the inclusion of diverse audiences, including individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent communities, in heritage contexts through the use of these technologies, focusing on how they can facilitate access and participation.
This session aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among XR developers, heritage professionals, and researchers, encouraging the exploration of how conversational avatars can enhance cultural experiences, provide personalized learning, and support the preservation, accessibility and dissemination of cultural knowledge.
Keywords: Conversational Avatars; Virtual Agents; Cultural Heritage; Museums & Heritage Sites; Immersive Storytelling; Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); User Experience (UX); Personalized Learning; Multilingual Interaction; Accessibility; AI in Cultural Heritage; ICT for Accessibility; ICT for Inclusion; Inclusion, Digital Empathy.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
Davide Borra (Architect, PhD) is a 3D, VR, and AR expert with over twenty-five years of experience in the field. He is the founder and CEO of No Real Interactive (www.noreal.it), an innovative company through which he designs and creates cross-platform immersive experiences for Digital Heritage, industrial simulation, health & care, and interactive art. His most recent innovations involve the development of real-time 3D conversational avatars and mobile AR web-apps, which he integrates into phygital user experiences for museums and archaeological parks. In the academic field, he has served as a contract professor at the Polytechnics of Turin and Milan, and NABA. He also directed the Digital Department at IAAD, where he currently teaches Immersive Environment. Furthermore, he was a founder and the second President of MIMOS (Italian Movement for Modeling and Simulation).
Giovanni D’Errico is an Assistant Professor (RTDA) at the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, and a researcher at Augmented and Virtual Reality Laboratory (AVRLab). He holds a Ph.D. (with honors) in Metrology from Politecnico di Torino (2025) and a cum laude M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Salento. His work investigates closed-loop bioadaptive XR ecosystems, combining physiological sensing, immersive interaction, and metrological rigor to characterize and validate the transformative properties of adaptation. His interests include metrological validation of XR systems, bioadaptive interfaces, and immersive applications across clinical, educational, and cognitive settings. His previous research explored VR/AR and gamification for smart cities, cultural heritage, and neurocognitive rehabilitation.
Ersilia Vallefuoco is a researcher in Biomedical Engineering at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of the University of Naples Federico II. Her main areas of expertise include serious games for rehabilitation applications, technologies for inclusion, assistive technologies, and extended reality and simulation in healthcare. In detail, her research focuses on the validation and the use of serious games-based interventions for people with neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative disorders. She is the author and co-author of several publications, and she was a speaker at national and international conferences.
Carola Gatto is Assistant Professor (RTD-A) in Classical Archaeology at the Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Salento, and a researcher at the Augmented and Virtual Reality Laboratory (AVR Lab). She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Heritage Sciences from the University of Salento. Her research interests focus on archaeological data representation, digital curation in museums, augmented and virtual reality for cultural heritage, and the relationship between museums and well-being. She is the author of several scientific publications. She is a member of the Italian ICOM Working Group “Multimedia and Emerging Technologies” and currently coordinates the Young Researchers Group at the Digital Humanities Centre of the University of Salento.
