Method to link data in 3D environment

The aim of this work is to discuss a novel method to access information through an interactive 3D model that has has a connection to places in the real world. This information can be textual (historical, artistic and architectural), photographic (textures, views, plans) and spatial (3D data). The geographical aspects introduce some complexities, but they allow a common and uniform access to the data. The proposed method links information to extended zones of the 3D space and can be used with 3D models that are not subdivided in logical zones, like meshes generated by 3D scanners. The use of an intuitive ranking function lets one find the relevant information by just “looking around”. The possibility to acquire, process and analyse geographic information without the need for installing proprietary GIS software or having deep GIS knowledge has been taken into account in this work, so as to make information more accessible to a larger audience. The method is applied on two case studies: the Napoleone Square in Lucca (Italy) and the crypt of the Cathedral of St. Servatius in Quedlinburg (Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany). In the case in Quedlinburg we wanted to integrate the data produced in the last seven years, during an important investigation and conservation program, that has used extensively GIS format as documentation tool

natural interaction in virtual reality for cultural heritage

Now that virtual reality has finally become a customer ready product, museums can use this new mean to enhance their exhibitions. The main problem however is that such a tool was not thought for casual users, and to adapt this new technology to short experiences such as the ones museums could provide, it is necessary to reduce the adaptation time to the new mean. In this paper, we discuss how removing physical controllers in favour of visually-tracked virtual hands could significantly reduce the time needed by casual users to adapt to new experiences, underlying the current technological limitations both in terms of technology and design

PIAZZE REALI E PIAZZE VIRTUALI VISUALIZZAZIONE INTERATTIVA DELLA RICOSTRUZIONE VIRTUALE DI PIAZZE FAMOSE COME STRUMENTO DI CONOSCENZA

<p>La piazza è un luogo di incontro, di confronto e di discussione, nel quale si creano nuovi rapporti o si rafforzano i rapporti esistenti tra le persone e il luogo stesso. Muoversi dentro una piazza consente di conoscere ‘fi sicamente’ la realtà nella quale stiamo agendo. La rappresentazione digitale di una piazza obbliga, invece, a dematerializzare la realtà e ad operare in una sua traduzione virtuale che consente di vivere l’esperienza di trovarsi in un luogo pur non essendoci. Tale esperienza non può sostituirsi al rapporto individuale che ciascuno di noi instaura con i luoghi reali, ma permette di ricreare con essi relazioni diverse, in accordo con i nostri sensi o addirittura ‘potenziandoli’, attraverso sensazioni nuove, ma comunque coinvolgenti. Un siffatto approccio può offrire un elevato contributo divulgativo perché può essere arricchito da numerose informazioni, su più livelli di conoscenza, fruibili mentre 'camminiamo' dentro la piazza ricostruita, proponendo dunque una capacità conoscitiva più intuitiva e diretta. Questo articolo si propone di esporre e discutere l’utilità e la fl essibilità di uso delle tecnologie virtuali attraverso la presentazione di una serie di ricostruzioni tridimensionali interattive di famose piazze, effettuate dal Laboratorio di Robotica Percettiva (PERCRO) della Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa. Tali ricostruzioni, pur condividendo il medesimo linguaggio digitale, sono state utilizzate per un ampio ventaglio di scopi eterogenei, quali la pianifi cazione urbanistica, la comunicazione culturale, la promozione, l’informazione turistica, la fruizione artistica, nonché la divulgazione storica.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Virtual Square</strong></p><p>Squares  are  places  where  people  meet,  discuss,  confront  each other, where new relationships within the community are created or strengthened. Moving inside a square allows to physically know the reality in which we are acting. The digital representation of a square, instead, forces a dematerialization of the reality and makes us act in a virtual translation, allowing to experience a place with-out actually being there. This experience cannot replace the indi-vidual relationship established with real places, though it allows to create new and different connections with them, in agreement with our senses or even augmenting them through new involving sensa-tions. Such an approach may offer a relevant contribution for communication and dissemination, as it can provide several information on different levels of knowledge, accessible, while we ‘walk’ inside the reconstructed square, in a more direct and intuitive way. This article aims to describe and discuss the usefulness and the fl exibility of virtual technologies through the presentation of a series of 3D reconstructions of famous squares, produced by the Perceptual Ro-botics Laboratory (PERCRO) of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa. These reconstructions, although sharing the same digital language, have been used for a wide range of heterogeneous purposes, such as urban planning, cultural communication, promotion, tourist information and education.</p&gt

automatic creation of a virtual augmented gallery based on user defined queries on online public repositories

Virtual museums are becoming increasingly popular, especially thanks to the recent spread of low-cost immersive technologies enabling a richer technology-based cultural offer. However, creating a virtual museum commonly requires a lot of effort, especially if a certain visual quality is required

Virtual Cultural Experiences: the Drivers of Satisfaction

This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary research work on the emergence and impact of virtual technologies on the valorization of cultural experience. After reviewing the literature on immersive museography and the concepts of immersion, interaction and social interaction within a cultural experience, we focus our analysis on the drivers of the users' satisfaction through a three-step research path. Firstly, we realized a preliminary qualitative overview of users' reactions to virtual environments in a series of selected cultural experiences. Secondly, we designed a model focusing on immersion and social interaction as the two potentially critical drivers of satisfaction. Thirdly, we realized a quantitative study of a project concerning an intangible cultural asset. The results of this study give evidence to the link between immersion and emotion and emphasize the essential mediating role of social interaction. These conclusions are consistent with present technological and market trends, concerning the integration of virtual reality and social networks