A CRITS Foray Into Cultural Heritage: Background Characters For The SHELeadersVR Project

Abstract

This article presents CRITS, a software framework designed to enhance virtual environments, particularly in the context of cultural heritage and immersive learning simulations. CRITS enables the easy integration of autonomous, human-like characters into virtual settings, enriching the user's experience by simulating the dynamic activities and social presence of background characters. The framework is showcased through its application in the SHELeaders VR project, which aims to recreate historical settings and narratives centered around medieval female leaders in the Balkans. The article discusses the technical implementation of CRITS, its benefits for creating lively and populated environments, and reflects on potential improvements and future research directions.