Reimagining Pop-Up Books Through Mixed Reality: A Collaborative Preservation Initiative

Pop-up and movable books enchant audiences with their intricate and interactive designs, blending visual and tactile experiences. However, their fragility poses challenges, particularly for archival collections like those at the KB (Koninklijke Bibliotheek). At the KB, which houses an extensive collection of pop-up books, including early examples from the 1860s, direct handling is limited to preserve their longevity. To overcome these constraints, an innovative research initiative has been launched, leveraging mixed reality (XR) technology to create immersive, interactive experiences with these delicate artifacts.

This project, spearheaded by researcher Willemijn Elkhuizen during her residency at the KB, is a collaboration with XR Zone, part of the New Media Center at TU Delft. The initiative focuses on translating the material and temporal qualities of pop-up books into digital and hybrid environments. Central to the project is the goal of preserving the sensory and emotional engagement these books evoke while making them accessible to a wider audience.

Three-Phase Approach to Innovation

The project unfolds in three phases, each addressing key aspects of integrating XR technology with cultural heritage:

Exploratory Research and Analysis The initial phase involves a literature and desktop study investigating how digital technologies have been used to enhance cultural heritage experiences. The research highlights various methods, from multisensory devices to digital-physical hybrids, while identifying a gap in addressing the dynamic materiality of artifacts such as pop-up books.
User Interaction Studies In the second phase, observational studies and interviews are conducted with participants at TU Delft, the KB, and the Children’s Book Museum. Both adults and children engage with physical and virtual pop-up books, offering insights into sensory, interpretive, and performative interactions. These findings inform the development of digital prototypes designed to replicate the intuitive and versatile qualities of physical books.

Prototype Development and Evaluation The final phase focuses on creating and testing three mixed reality prototypes, each representing varying levels of virtuality:

Physical Book (Control Condition): The original tangible artifact serves as a baseline for comparison.

Mixed Reality (XR) Prototype: This version combines physical pop-up books with virtual overlays, allowing users to interact with animations, additional content, or storytelling elements superimposed on the pages. The hybrid experience enhances the tactile engagement of the physical book with the dynamic features of digital storytelling.

Virtual Reality (VR) Prototype: In this fully digital reimagining, users are immersed in a 3D environment where the pop-up book transcends its physical limitations. Pages can expand to life-sized proportions, mechanisms animate in real-time, and narratives unfold as immersive, interactive worlds.