Optimizing Virtual Culinary Tours Using Character-based Interaction and Finite State Machine (FSM)

This research focuses on the development of a Virtual Tour application utilizing Finite State Machine (FSM) to enhance the interaction of a Non-Playable Character (NPC) as a tour guide in a 3D virtual environment. The primary issue addressed is the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry, which led to travel restrictions and limited opportunities for visitors to explore tourist destinations physically. The aim of the study is to create a virtual tourism experience as an alternative solution, enabling users to explore historical sites like Pasar Lama Tangerang remotely through Google Cardboard VR. To achieve this, the NPC’s behavior is controlled using FSM, allowing the character to transition between states—idle, walking, and talking—based on user interactions. Data was collected through user testing with a Likert scale questionnaire, evaluating user satisfaction and the effectiveness of the FSM method. The results revealed a 74.35% positive user rating, categorized as Good, demonstrating the potential of FSM to provide an interactive, engaging, and educational virtual tour experience. These findings highlight the effectiveness of FSM in creating a dynamic and user-responsive virtual tour, offering significant benefits to the tourism sector by providing an innovative, accessible, and immersive way for potential visitors to explore destinations during travel restrictions. This research contributes to the growing field of e-tourism, showcasing the potential of virtual reality and FSM to transform the tourism industry in times of crisis.