A university research team in Hong Kong has tapped the advantages of virtual reality and artificial intelligence to promote Chinese martial arts, and dragon and lion dance traditions.
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The research project by Hong Kong Shue Yan University involved the creation of a virtual building based on 3D scans of two local martial arts associations.
The finished project allows players to virtually interact with various elements, including lion dance heads and historical photos, with notes providing stories explaining the context of the items.
The research team has also created a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that allows users to ask questions about martial arts. It will cover dragon and lion dances in the future.
The answers are based on interviews totalling 200,000 words conducted with seven senior masters of tai chi and wing chun.
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“We want to create this virtual space for everyone who is interested in these legacies, no matter where they are in the world, to be able to access and learn more about the culture,” said Lee Ka-man, the head of the department of journalism and communication and who led the effort.