As part of the "DigiMat" project, scientists from the fields of cultural studies, psychology and materials science are working together to combine digital imaging with physical-chemical analysis of historical museum artifacts in order to create new levels of perception and interaction between museum visitors and the exhibits. The assumption of digital imaging is that it can make new and otherwise hidden information about the respective exhibition objects accessible to the museum visitor.

In the sub-project of the IWM, the influence of digital material visualizations of exhibits on knowledge acquisition processes is empirically investigated. The material visualizations are new 2D and 3D imaging techniques, particularly based on the latest developments in X-ray tomography and electron microscopy, by means of which structural, chemical and functional properties of the object can be made visible to the museum visitor. It will be researched to what extent the presentations of exhibition objects in combination with their material visualizations can promote the perceived intimacy between object and museum visitor, knowledge of the historical background of the object and understanding of the mechanisms underlying the function of the objects. This will be investigated through both laboratory studies and field studies in exhibitions, which will additionally be evaluated through visitor surveys.