Developing a Marker-Based AR Application to Introduce Temples and Cultural Heritage to Younger Generations

Preserving Balinese cultural heritage is crucial for sustaining community identity. In Bali, temples (pura) are central to spiritual and cultural life. However, younger generations, especially temple caretakers of Pemerajan Agung Sakti Padangsambian, are increasingly losing knowledge of these sacred spaces, weakening their sense of belonging, to preserve cultural traditions. Current media efforts has failed to engage this demographic. This research addresses this challenge by developing an application-integrated images compiled into books and Android-based AR technology. The application employed a user-centered design approach involving analysis, design, development, testing, and evaluation phases. Results show AR effectively bridges the knowledge gap, with usability scores and a significant increase in user knowledge of 42.43%. This research demonstrates AR's potential for preserving and transmitting cultural heritage, including the reconstruction of damaged historical objects through 3D modeling with the marker detection technology, to ensure seamless integration between the real and virtual worlds.