Human–computer interaction, Artificial Intelligence, and the multilingualism of digital culture open up unexpected scenarios in the contemporary design of cultural spaces with the creation of artifacts in which the analogic and digital dimensions come together to enhance the experience. Sensors and devices track user movement in the real world and translate the inputs into commands through hand gestures, speech recognition, head movements, tangible interfaces, or a combination of these elements. Through theorical models, concepts and tools, the paper reports the evolution of “User Experience” applied to personalized enjoyment and use of cultural places. The functional-performance survey of tools and technologies for perception, narrative and augmented interaction revealed models that highlight the diversity and richness of tangible and intangible cultural heritage through new forms of interaction and knowledge transfer. In this direction, new technological tools make it possible to detect, track and evaluate the personalized user experience by processing or producing large amounts of data. Therefore, on one hand the paper explores the limitations dictated by data management and user privacy in using such systems and, on the other, it prefigures new scenarios for amplifying and personalizing the user experience.

In the current scientific and technological scenario, wearable neuroimaging devices represent a revolution in neuroscience and wearable technology. These tools combine the features of neuroimaging technologies with the convenience of wearable devices, enabling real-time exploration of brain activity in real-world contexts. This convergence defines new perspectives in scientific research, medical diagnosis, and human performance analysis. Technologies such as EEG and fNIRS enable the non-invasive monitoring of brain activity without the need for heavy clinical equipment. Indeed, miniaturization, portability, wireless communication, and energy efficiency are key objectives in the design of advanced devices. In such a scenario, comfort is a key requirement to enable widespread use in different contexts, requiring the design of lightweight and minimally invasive wearable devices. The literature review examines the impact of wearable EEG and fNIRS devices on the user in real-life and laboratory environments in terms of usability and acceptability. The study presents evaluation and design factors—applied to laboratory testing—defined to improve the quality and perception of the user experience and to ensure the accuracy of cognitive load detection. These results will be useful in defining wearable devices, new applications, and future challenges for BCI.

The technologies spread with the phenomenon of Industry 4.0 have changed industrial systems and the role of users. This phenomenon reached its peak with the introduction of Industry 5.0, which emphasises the need to introduce advanced systems for Human-Augmentation. The research presents a systematic review of wearable devices, applied to different contexts, according to the identification of their main functionalities. The aim is to define a reference framework for the different types of wearable devices in order to identify the critical issues and opportunities offered by current wearable device technologies for transfer to production contexts. Starting from the identification of the taxonomy of classification of wearable devices, a framework has been defined that is based on different factors, types of wearable devices, functional attributes and positioning on body parts. The literature review and classification presented how the design of wearable devices is moving towards solutions capable of improving operational efficiency and ensuring safe levels of interaction between operator and technology, with particular attention to ergonomic factors such as usability. This manuscript aims to open a debate regarding the application scenarios, and research challenges associated with the use of wearable devices.