FORGOTTEN ARCHITECTURE: SMART TOOLS FOR CULTURAL TOURISM IN THE CLOISTER OF THE PRIOR (SANTA MARIA DELLE GRAZIE, MILAN)

This paper describes the relationship among an important nineteenth-century monument, the Cloister of the Prior (located in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan), its survey and the technical integration of different cultural information to be enjoyed in VR and AR during its visit. In this context, the surveying techniques have to face the problem related to the presence of white and smooth surfaces and the difficulty in obtaining a good result in the 3D modelling. Various tests have been performed to create a good point cloud from the photogrammetric survey of the cloister, conducted through the use of different camera lenses or post production interventions applied to the images, in order to obtain the best results. The 3D modelling is not only a base for creating virtual and augmented experiences (that, through digital contents, explain to the distracted public the history of this less known part of the monument) but also a starting point for possible further studies focused on the modifications that affected the cloister over the centuries

THE VIRTUAL BATCAVE: A PROJECT FOR THE SAFEGUARD OF A UNESCO WHL FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM

Abstract. This abstract illustrates an interdisciplinary research project which focuses on the study, conservation and enhancement, through 3D digitization and virtual fruition, of an asset of great naturalistic, historical and ethnoanthropological value: Grotta dei Pipistrelli of Pantalica Nature Reserve (Sortino, SR). The cave (located in the Calcinara necropolis) is characterized by a great beauty as well as by a high cultural relevance and a remarkable scientific importance. In 2005, it awarded the UNESCO World Heritage title for its high historic, archaeological and speleological profile. Despite the site is being studied by specialists in chiropterofauna, nowadays there is not a comprehensive and reliable documentation of the plano-altimetric morphology of the cave, able to constitute a 3D database of essential information (e.g. morphological, geological, textural and wildlife information) for current and future studies, and to preserve the memory of this fragile ecosystem. The process of 3D digitization aims to create a model of the cave that allows us to enjoy this place, to explore it and to closely understand it in order to limit the anthropic pressure caused by visitors on the real site. Consequently, it is proposed the creation of a virtual environment, as a reproduction of the real one, which can be enjoyed by all categories of users.</p

Use of Tools: UX Principles for Interactive Narrative Authoring Tools

The technology supporting Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN) is of particular significance to cultural heritage research. IDN technology provides a means of engagement in cultural heritage sites, a medium for culturally significant stories, and culturally significant story-centric games. While previous work in this space has numerous examples of user experience (UX) evaluations of the interactive narrative works themselves, there is significantly less in terms of evaluation of technology for authoring IDN, creating a UX research space in this area that is focused on audience and not authors. We propose to balance this focus by considering the UX of authoring tools more closely. In this work, we undertake a review of the state of the art of authoring tools for IDN such as story-centric games, and report on a rigorous UX evaluation of representative technologies (n=21). We also address the challenges of UX research for these tools through an original evaluation methodology where authors complete a story composed of representative story features. Our study leads us to conclude 7 UX principles for IDN authoring tools that both explore how authors use tools to create story-focused games, and how the interface for these tools impacts the creative process

Conveying interpretations of the past with interactive narratives

This master’s thesis sketches a theory upon which a heuristic for the effective conveyance of scholarly historical interpretation of the past to a non-scholarly audience can be built. For this heuristic to yield methods that do not only respect academic standards of critical inquiry, but simultaneously ensure that thus produced historical knowledge can be imparted to and retained by laymen, the interplay of a range of factors has to be understood first. This thesis builds on and connects theories and concepts from philosophy, psychology, media- and game studies, cognitive sciences, semiotics, and computer science. It takes a stance that emphasizes the capacity of scholars and laymen alike to form informed and critical interpretations of the past under the right circumstances. In order to facilitate these circumstances most effectively, it takes a pragmatic approach which rejects maximizing either of the variables in the triplet verisimilitude, veracity, and verifiability at the expense of the other

Reconstructive archaeology: in situ visualisation of previously excavated finds and features through an ongoing mixed reality process

Featured ApplicationThis automatic 3D reconstructive process currently underway supplies archaeologists with a mixed reality (MR) technique that allows them to interactively visualise 3D models representing formerly extracted finds, and to position such models over the features still present at the archaeological site.Archaeological excavation is a demolishing process. Rather few elements outlast extractive operations. Therefore, it is hard to visualise the precise location of unearthed finds at a previously excavated research area. Here, we present a mixed reality environment that displays in situ 3D models of features that were formerly extracted and recorded with 3D coordinates during unearthing operations. We created a tablet application that allows the user to view the position, orientation and dimensions of every recorded find while freely moving around the archaeological site with the device. To anchor the model, we used physical landmarks left at the excavation. A series of customised forms were created to show (onscreen) the different types of features by superimposing them over the terrain as perceived by the tablet camera. The application permits zooming-in, zooming-out, querying for specific artefacts and reading metadata associated with the archaeological elements. When at the office, our environment enables accurate visualisations of the 3D geometry concerning previously unearthed features and their spatial relationships. The application operates using the Swift programming language, Python scripts and ARKit technology. We present here an example of its use at Les Cottes, France, a palaeolithic site where thousands of artefacts are excavated out of six superimposed layers with a complex conformation.NWOVI.C.191.070Human Origin

Touching and interacting with inaccessible cultural heritage

International audienc

A Survey of Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality for Cultural Heritage

A multimedia approach to the diffusion, communication, and exploitation of Cultural Heritage (CH) is a well-established trend worldwide. Several studies demonstrate that the use of new and combined media enhances how culture is experienced. The benefit is in terms of both number of people who can have access to knowledge and the quality of the diffusion of the knowledge itself. In this regard, CH uses augmented-, virtual-, and mixed-reality technologies for different purposes, including education, exhibition enhancement, exploration, reconstruction, and virtual museums. These technologies enable user-centred presentation and make cultural heritage digitally accessible, especially when physical access is constrained. A number of surveys of these emerging technologies have been conducted; however, they are either not domain specific or lack a holistic perspective in that they do not cover all the aspects of the technology. A review of these technologies from a cultural heritage perspective is therefore warranted. Accordingly, our article surveys the state-of-the-art in augmented-, virtual-, and mixed-reality systems as a whole and from a cultural heritage perspective. In addition, we identify specific application areas in digital cultural heritage and make suggestions as to which technology is most appropriate in each case. Finally, the article predicts future research directions for augmented and virtual reality, with a particular focus on interaction interfaces and explores the implications for the cultural heritage domain