The inability of cochlear implant (CI) users to accurately localize sound sources poses daily safety risks and impedes social communication. While future augmented reality (AR) glasses are an ideal platform for delivering real-time visual and tactile assistive cues, their potential is hampered by a critical knowledge gap: how to design effective, non-distracting interfaces for this specific user group. To address this, we introduce a novel methodological approach using a virtual reality (VR) platform with high-fidelity color passthrough. This platform functions as an ecologically valid yet fully controllable testbed that faithfully simulates a future AR experience. Within this environment, we conducted a within-subjects study with 16 CI users to systematically evaluate three non-auditory cueing strategies: 1) Visual-Only, using color-coded peripheral widgets; 2) Tactile-Only, via a custom 8-channel vibrotactile array; and 3) a combined visuo-tactile Multimodal approach. We rigorously measured localization accuracy (absolute angular error), reaction time, front-back confusion rates, and subjective cognitive load (NASA-TLX). Our results reveal a critical performance-load trade-off: the multimodal strategy yielded the highest accuracy, reducing the mean error from 85.3° to 8.1°, but also imposed the greatest cognitive load. Conversely, the tactile-only strategy offered a compelling balance, significantly improving performance while being rated as the least cognitively demanding. From this analysis, we derive foundational insights and a set of evidence-based design guidelines to inform the creation of more effective and usable auditory awareness systems on future AR platforms.

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) show significant potential for enhancing user experience in virtual museums. However, effectively establishing user trust and empathy during the critical initial moments of encounter remains a key challenge. Existing research has paid limited attention to systematically fostering these qualities through personalized Icebreaking strategies, often focusing instead on agent appearance or guidance mechanisms. This paper investigates the impact of a multimodal personalized initial interaction strategy—integrating personalized openings based on user interests, guided self-disclosure, and adaptive embodied social rituals—on users' trust in and empathy towards an ECA guide. We implemented this strategy within a VR virtual museum themed around the Beijing Central Axis, featuring interactions led by an ECA guide named “Xiao Liang.” In a user study ($N=60$), we compared three conditions: (1) No initial interaction (control), (2) Standardized interaction, and (3) Personalized interaction. User trust and empathy were measured immediately post-interaction using established psychological scales. Results clearly demonstrated that the personalized initial interaction significantly enhanced both user trust ($p<0.05$) and empathy ($p<0.05$) compared to both the control and standardized interaction groups. These findings confirm that personalizing the integration of dialogue and embodied behaviors early in the interaction is an effective pathway for building positive user-agent relationships. Furthermore, this work provides valuable insights for designing more trustworthy and empathic initial interactions for ECAs, offering a significant contribution to existing ECA interaction paradigms.