Optimization of a Wayfinding Visual Communication System for Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibitions Based on Eye Tracking and Context-aware Sensing: A Case Study of Shanghai Jinshan Peasant Painting

In this study, we developed a sensor-integrated evaluation framework for wayfinding visual communication in intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and validated it through a case study of the Shanghai Jinshan peasant painting exhibition.The objective of this study was to establish a quantitative and reproducible sensing-based framework for evaluating and optimizing wayfinding visual communication systems through the integration of eye tracking, contextaware sensing, task-performance analysis, and subjective evaluation.The proposed framework combined subjective ratings, task-performance indicators, eye-tracking metrics, and contextaware sensing variables to enable a comprehensive and quantitative assessment of visitor behavior, visual attention, and environmental influence.A two-stage experimental design was adopted.In Stage 1, an optimized wayfinding system was developed through design-principle review, expert consultation, and iterative pilot refinement.In Stage 2, a quasi-experiment was conducted with 60 participants, who were assigned to the original and optimized wayfinding groups (n = 30 each) and asked to complete five exhibition-guidance tasks.Multisource data collection included subjective scales, task completion time, task accuracy, time to first fixation, area-of-interest (AOI) attention ratio, and scan path concentration, as well as environmental sensing variables such as crowd density, illuminance, and viewing distance.The results showed that the optimized version significantly improved wayfinding clarity, exhibition understanding, and overall evaluation, with large effect sizes.It also significantly reduced completion time and improved task accuracy across all five tasks.At the eye-tracking level, the optimized version shortened the time to first fixation and increased the AOI attention ratio and scan path concentration, indicating more efficient visual guidance toward key information areas.Correlation analysis further revealed that better eye-tracking performance and task performance were associated with higher subjective evaluations.Regression analysis identified the IntroductionIntangible cultural heritage exhibitions should not be regarded as purely static presentations of cultural artifacts; rather, they constitute integrated human-environment interaction systems in which perception, cognition, recognition, and spatial movement occur within a measurable and dynamic sensing framework.From a sensors-oriented perspective, exhibition spaces can be conceptualized as data-rich environments where visitor behaviors are continuously influenced by visual stimuli and can be quantitatively captured through multimodal sensing technologies.Upon entering an exhibition, visitors do not engage with artworks in isolation; instead, they sequentially interact with entrance guidance, zone signage, artwork labels, route transitions, and interactive prompts.When a wayfinding visual communication system lacks sufficient information hierarchy, color contrast, typographic readability, or symbol consistency, visitors must expend greater visual-search effort.This increased cognitive load can be objectively reflected in sensor-derived metrics such as a prolonged time to first fixation (TFF), increased fixation counts, irregular scan paths, and higher revisit frequencies, ultimately leading to delayed navigation, interrupted comprehension, and accumulated exhibition fatigue. (1)(2)3) Jinshan peasant painting in Shanghai represents a distinctive regional visual-cultural resource characterized by vivid chromatic properties, decorative spatial composition, symbolic folk-art vocabulary, and strong narrative depictions of everyday life.From the viewpoint of materials and visual perception, its high color saturation and compositional density directly affect visual saliency and attention allocation, which are measurable through sensing technologies such as eye tracking and image-based saliency analysis.In recent years, Jinshan peasant painting has evolved from a localized folk-art form into a hybrid cultural medium with both exhibition and public-communication functions increasingly integrated with digital display systems and sensor-enabled interaction platforms. (4)(5)(6) When presented in museums, galleries, and public cultural spaces, its communicative effectiveness depends on not only intrinsic artistic features but also whether visitors can efficiently identify spatial zones, interpret thematic content, optimize navigation decisions, and construct coherent cognitive maps.This dependence highlights the necessity of incorporating sensor-informed wayfinding systems, making Jinshan peasant painting exhibitions an appropriate case for investigating sensing-based visual communication strategies in intangible cultural heritage contexts.The conventional evaluation of exhibition wayfinding design typically relies on designers' experience, expert reviews, or subjective questionnaire-based assessments.Although these approaches provide valuable qualitative insights into aesthetics and usability, they lack the capability to capture fine-grained, real-time behavioral data, such as initial gaze allocation,