AR pilots with Chinese students: Ordering at an Augmented Coffee Shop
The ARIDLL team implemented the scenario “ARIDLL-CUT-Greek Café A0 Maria 4” with 14 Chinese students who had completed one week of intensive Greek lessons. The activity introduced students to Augmented Reality (AR) through the Mirage XR platform and engaged them in a simulated café environment in Limassol, where they could view 3D objects of food and drinks with labels in Greek and order orally from an AI virtual waitress. Two Greek language teachers observed the session, supporting the students during their interactions.
Students worked in pairs, interacting with the virtual waitress via iPad Pro devices. Researchers and an instructor facilitated the activity and introduced the scenario. Following the session, all participants completed an online questionnaire collecting demographic information, previous AR experience, and feedback on the activity and future use.
Preliminary feedback highlighted initial excitement for the AR interface, followed by frustration due to pronunciation difficulties and communication challenges with the AI model. The virtual agent often misinterpreted students’ speech, repeated questions, or responded too quickly for beginner-level learners. Audio clarity and the lack of user controls, such as the ability to re-record responses or replay the AI’s prompts, were noted as significant limitations.
