Examining usefulness of Virtual Reality Technology in Preserving and Inheriting the Skills of Traditional Industries in Rural Areas

Abstract

Local traditional industries in rural areas, which are based on tacit knowledge, have suffered from human resource shortage and fewer successors. Advanced traditional skills have been succeeded and developed through numerous trials and errors among the so-called “artisans”. However, the outflow and the aging of the rural population for years and decades has made it difficult to conserve traditional skills. This study focused on tacit knowledge and skill of traditional coal making in Minabe-Cho, Wakayama Prefecture, where the popular Kishu-binchotan has been produced for a long time. This study examined the usefulness of VR (Virtual Reality) technology in the skill transfer process of coal making through a comparative experiment of three skills transfer means : VR video, 2D video, and text material. Mr. H., one of a few coal makers who has inherited a traditional skill called hanegi. We videocaptured his henegi skills and made learning materials in the aforementioned three formats and conducted questionnaire surveys before and after the respondents ̓actual performing of hanegi. The experiment results showed that VR videos were effective in promoting understanding of the points of the skills compared to others. Besides, the actual physical movements can also be learned comprehensively compared to other contents. However, some physical skill points were not able to be mastered even in VR.