Harmonie






Path of Light
Conference  Paper:
  • Path of Light: Interactive Narrative Design Based on Mix Reality for Silk Road Cultural Perception (UIST  2025 Posters)
Role:
Design and Development of the Ritual Gesture Module

The project Path of Light explores how mixed reality (MR), artificial intelligence (AI), and natural interaction technologies can be used to preserve and disseminate the mythology of the Silk Road. These myths, which represent invaluable intangible cultural heritage, face challenges of abstraction, complexity, and lack of engagement among modern audiences. To address this, the project developed an immersive MR system in which participants act as “Light Seekers,” experiencing mythological narratives through embodied interactions with AI-generated scenes, mythical creatures, and gestures.

The design concept is rooted in the recurring symbolic motif of light and mythical birds found across Silk Road civilizations. The project reinterprets myths such as the Chinese Golden Crow, the Persian Simurgh, and the Sumerian Shamash. To ensure both aesthetic quality and cultural authenticity, the design process combines AI-generated artistic assets with manual curation and enhancement, creating mythological environments that remain faithful to traditional artistic styles while being engaging in modern MR storytelling.


Technical Framework

The system was developed in Unity 6000.0.23f1 and deployed on Apple Vision Pro, leveraging spatial computing for accurate localization and immersive rendering. The pipeline integrates LoRA-based AI models with ComfyUI for automated scene asset generation, while Unity shaders and skeletal animation were used to add dynamic effects. The interaction modules combine gesture recognition, audio narration, and spatial storytelling to create an engaging mixed reality experience.







The Ritual Gestures module was designed and developed to enable culturally inspired interactions through XR Hand–based gesture recognition. Greeting gestures were detected and mapped to corresponding character responses, creating a symbolic cultural exchange.





The system was further extended to support interactive behaviors with the mythical bird. When a specific gesture is performed, the bird is triggered to approach and gently land on the user’s hand; once the gesture is withdrawn, the bird flies away. These natural interactions reinforce the sense of embodiment and strengthen the symbolic link between user actions and cultural narratives, resulting in a more engaging and meaningful mixed reality experience.


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