HSP–OM: A MUSEUM DISPLAY SPACE DESIGN METHODOLOGY USING UNITY AND VIRTUAL REALITY

Virtual reality (VR) exhibitions developed in Unity offer interactive access to museum collections beyond physical limitations. Nevertheless, preserving curatorial intent and ensuring visual fidelity in immersive environments remain significant challenges, particularly when panoramic or spherical media introduce geometric distortions that impair interpretability. This paper presents a methodology for designing museum display spaces that integrates Octahedral Mapping (OM) with Half-Sphere Projection (HSP) to support a Virtual Space Display (VSD) pipeline within Unity-based VR exhibitions. The proposed workflow systematically addresses exhibit selection, spatial layout, projection-based rendering, and interaction design to enhance visual consistency and navigational coherence in virtual galleries. The implementation procedure is described in detail, accompanied by an evaluation framework for measuring engagement and learning outcomes across diverse visitor groups. The approach aims to support museum professionals and developers in creating VR exhibitions that are both semantically interpretable and pedagogically effective.