Exploring the Effect of Hologram-Physical Coupling for Studio Panel Light Operation Tasks in Augmented Reality

Augmented reality (AR) is an innovative tool in supporting hands-on tasks by allowing users to interact with holograms. Previous studies investigated differences between virtual and augmented holograms and between physical artifacts and hologram digital twins, leaving open how hologram-physical couplings shape participants’ experience. In this study, we explored the effects of physical artifacts and holograms under three hologram-physical coupling conditions (i.e., physical-only, hologram-only, and hybrid) on object presence (i.e., general presence, spatial presence, involvement, and realism), perceived overall workload (i.e., NASA task load index), and technology acceptance (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward using, and behavioral intention) during a hands-on task. Seventy-five participants, in a between-group study (N = 25 per condition), experienced an AR application using a studio panel light with the Microsoft HoloLens 2. The results indicate that the hybrid condition received significantly higher ratings in object presence (i.e., general presence, spatial presence, involvement, and realism) and in most technology acceptance variables (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention). Our findings suggest that holograms may be perceived more positively when they augment rather than replace physical artifacts, offering a hybrid design that provides richer visual and sensory cues for task-relevant information.