Effect of Scaling on 3D-Printed Replicas for Blind and Low-Vision Museum Visitors

Museums often present challenges for blind and low-vision visitors due to the emphasis on visual exploration. Using 3D-printed replicas enables haptic exploration of museum replicas and could enhance accessibility. Here, we investigated how the size of a 3D-printed replica affects the user’s haptic recognition accuracy. Twenty-eight sighted participants completed a touch-based recognition task using replicas of two Terracotta Warriors while being blindfolded. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was used to examine the effects of model type (kneeling/standing), size (large/small), and task order (first/second) on performance accuracy. ANOVA results revealed significant interactions between size and model type ( F (1, 48) = 7.82, p = .01, η 2 = .14), as well as between model type and task order ( F (1, 48) = 5.52, p = .02, η 2 = .10), but no other significant main effects or interactions. Post-hoc comparisons showed that small models significantly enhanced recognition only for the standing warrior, whose structures are simpler with features that are still accessible at a smaller scale. Additionally, prior exposure influenced subsequent performance differently across models. These findings offer insights into optimizing 3D-printed replicas for accessibility, highlighting the importance of considering both artifact characteristics and physical scaling when designing tactile replicas to enhance accessibility.