UNM’s School of Computer Science students conduct ethnographic fieldwork, guided by Martin Theseira (in green), the president of the Melaka Portuguese Eurasian Heritage Arts & Cultural Society. — Photos: University of Nottingham Malaysia
In today’s digital age, technology has revolutionised the way we connect with and understand cultural heritage. By incorporating modern innovations into cultural exhibitions, we can transform static displays into dynamic, immersive experiences.
These advancements allow visitors to engage with history in ways that were previously unimaginable, making the traditions and stories of the past more vivid and accessible.
Through tools like augmented reality (AR), interactive storytelling and digital reconstructions, technology not only preserves cultural legacies but also breathes new life into them, ensuring they remain relevant and impactful for future generations.
Such is the case with Stories of Praya Lane, an exhibition set to run this week in Melaka. For this exhibition, The University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM) has teamed up with creative, cultural hub The Bendahari and the Melaka Portuguese Eurasian Heritage Arts and Cultural Society to show how modern technology can be harnessed to preserve and promote cultural heritage.
The exhibition is a great example of how modern technology can be harnessed to preserve and promote cultural heritage.
This is the second time that UNM is embarking on such a project; last year an exhibition centred on the Heritage Trades of Melaka was put together collaboratively with multiple stakeholders. This year’s exhibition is focused on the rich cultural history of Praya Lane, a historically significant area predominantly inhabited by the Portuguese and Eurasian communities.
The exhibition, driven by the local community, aims to highlight the cultural significance of Praya Lane through the voices and stories of its residents, past and present.
What makes this exhibition particularly innovative is the technological dimension incorporated by Dr Marina Ng, Assoc professor and associate dean of admissions, recruitment and marketing at UNM, alongside her team of students from the School of Computer Science. Their goal was to create an interactive, multi-sensory experience that will allow visitors to engage with Praya Lane’s history in a way that is both immersive and accessible.
Visitors taste a dish and interact with the ‘talking plants’ to identify the key plant ingredients that contribute to its flavour, providing an interactive culinary experience.
Ng says: “Integrating technology into the exhibition has been about enriching the visitor experience while honouring the cultural and historical significance of Praya Lane. Our goal is not to make technology the central theme but to use it as a tool to bring to life history and culture.”
To achieve this, the project team employed a user-centred design process, beginning with an ethnographic study to understand the project’s goals, context and specific needs. This approach allowed them to engage with various stakeholders, including community members, cultural experts and technology specialists, in a participatory design process that spanned three months.
Ng explains how the planning and process have been divided into four phases.
“Phase 1 was when the project first started in February, and we had 49 undergraduate Year 2 students from the School of Computer Science who were involved in pitching ideas for the Praya Lane Project with the goal of preserving and promoting the Kristang culture. The students made a field study to Praya Lane to engage with the community there and pitch them their ideas.”
Jason Kong Zheng Yang, a Year 1 student in BSc (Hons) Computer Science with AI, contributed to the hangman game (which helps visitors discover Kristang language keywords) and the speech recognition software.
In Phase 2, the students’ winning ideas were consolidated, and seven interns were selected to implement these projects. In Phase 3, the interns, supported by a research team including four PhD students, engaged in further brainstorming, project design and development. Finally, Phase 4 involved university volunteers who assisted with the exhibition and project implementation.
Shifting to new solutions
One of the standout features of the exhibition is the use of gamification to promote the Kristang language, a unique Creole language spoken by the Melaka Portuguese-Eurasian community. Visitors can participate in a treasure hunt where they learn Kristang words, and their ability to speak these words correctly unlocks the next part of the experience.
This gamified approach makes learning engaging, especially for younger audiences, who are encouraged to explore the actual streets of Praya Lane, fully immersing themselves in its cultural heritage.
Ng says: “The interactive treasure hunt is designed to provide motivation and engagement. We encourage visitors to ‘explore’ the actual streets to fully immerse themselves in the cultural heritage setting while technology enhances the experience. Each treasure station offers narratives and hands-on tech-enabled missions, creating a unique interactive treasure hunt that brings the culture and history of Praya Lane to life.”
The AR app enables visitors to visualise the historical sea that once existed in the area, offering a glimpse into the past landscape.
The exhibition also leverages cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), AR, and tangible computing to create a deeply immersive experience. For example, visitors can use AR to visualise the historical sea that once surrounded the area or engage with “talking plants” to learn about the herbs used in Kristang cuisine.
The students’ work in integrating these technologies plays a crucial role in making the exhibition accessible to a modern audience.
Ng notes, “We worked closely with cultural experts and community members to ensure the project would authentically represent the community, by verifying the accuracy of the historical context and adjusting our approach based on their feedback. By combining their cultural insights with our technical expertise, we believe we will be able to deliver an exhibition that not only honours the past but also connects with a modern audience, ensuring the success and impact of the project.”
BSc (Hons) Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence final-year student Navientharan Balasubramaniam, 22, who contributed to the object recognition segment and served as the tech team lead, shares: “The collaborative environment and the challenge of integrating modern technology with traditional culture made the experience both rewarding and intellectually stimulating. Contributing to this project has greatly expanded my appreciation for Melaka’s unique Kristang culture while also sharpening my technical abilities in object recognition software.”
For the object recognition tech that will be part of the exhibition, Navientharan says he used Roboflow, a platform that simplifies the entire process from data collection to model deployment.
Navientharan training a machine learning model to help it recognise objects accurately.
“I started by uploading and annotating images, then used Roboflow’s tools to preprocess and augment the data, which improved the model’s performance. After training the model with integrated frameworks like TensorFlow and YOLO, I deployed it across various environments, ensuring it could accurately recognise objects in real-time applications. Roboflow also provided monitoring tools, allowing me to continuously improve the model’s accuracy post-deployment,” he explained.
Navientharan says leading the tech team provided him with invaluable experience, merging his passion for computer science with cultural preservation, and equipping him with skills that he is sure will benefit both his academic journey and future endeavours.
“I gained hands-on experience with advanced object recognition algorithms, improving my proficiency in computer vision and machine learning. Additionally, I honed my project management skills, learning how to coordinate a team effectively, manage timelines and troubleshoot technical challenges.
“This experience also enhanced my ability to work across disciplines, bridging the gap between technology and cultural studies, which will be invaluable in future projects that require a similar interdisciplinary approach.”
Another final-year student in BSc (Hons) Computer Science with AI, Lee Yen Yee, 19, who contributed to website development, says that she was challenged to learn how to present cultural heritage in a way that enhances user engagement by integrating interactive elements such as a story map, a historical timeline and an aesthetic photo gallery that she hopes will bring the history of the Kristang community to life.
Community-driven initiatives, supported by academic expertise and modern technology, can play a crucial role in preserving Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage for future generations.
Lee says that while she handled most of the development of the website built on Wix, (www.prayalane.com), the team from The Bendahari was invaluable in its support of providing valuable and interesting content.
“We had initially hoped to build a 3D model, which would allow viewers to virtually walk through Praya Lane, but this proved challenging as it was difficult to find sufficient free online resources that we could use,” Lee says, adding that the website took about two months to build and populate.
The team decided to change tack and use a story map instead, combining people’s stories with location markers. “I found it quite an interesting and engaging method to be able to showcase the kampung stories this way.”
Her favourite part of the website is its photo gallery, which has a drag and drop feature, allowing you to place photos as you like, and is divided into four segments: Life of Sea, Around the Chapel, Music & Entertainment, and Rites of Passage.
“Using HTML and JavaScript, I can allow users to interact by dragging pictures over the page, stacking or unstacking them in any order they choose, so they can compare and contrast, and clicking on them to enlarge. This has added a layer of fun,” she said.
As building 3D models was too challenging, the team decided to change tack and use a story map instead, combining people’s stories with location markers.
During one of the Computer Science modules, Human-Computer Interaction, Lee says that she was able to join her university mates on a field trip to Melaka earlier this year. “Our assignment that day was to come up with an interactive game or webpage relating to Praya Lane. The whole project has been very exciting, and I think I have managed to develop a positive approach to problem solving along the way, a skill that will be invaluable in my future. It’s been a great experience.”
This collaborative effort between UNM and The Bendahari as well as the Melaka Portuguese Eurasian Heritage Arts and Cultural Society is ready to highlight not only the cultural richness of Praya Lane but also to demonstrate the potential of technology to preserve and promote cultural heritage in meaningful ways.
As Ng puts it, “We look forward to seeing more such interactive projects that enable the public, especially youths and children, to engage with these types of stories. UNM aims to foster a deeper appreciation of cultural heritage and drive innovation in how it is presented and preserved.”
Stories from Praya Lane will take place from Sept 10-16 in Melaka at The Bendahari, Lot 147-149, Jalan Bendahara, as well as at two old houses on Praya Lane – No. 1 and No. 6 – which will serve as pop-up gallery spaces. The exhibition features a mix of free admission and ticketed (workshop) events. For more information, go to www.prayalane.com.
