INTERACCIÓN GESTUAL PARA ENTORNOS DE INMERSIÓN ARQUEOLÓGICOS: TRABAJO EN CURSO

[EN] Archaeological data are heterogeneous (i.e., data-sheets and pictures, stratigraphic data, 3D models), and innovative virtual reconstractuions helps to visualize and study those data. In this short paper, we describe our work in progress in the design of an innovative way to interact with the complexity of a virtual reconstruction, using natural gestures and advanced machine learning, in close collaboration with archeaeologists.[ES] Los datos arqueológicos son heterogéneos (por ejemplo, ficha técnica e imágenes, datos estratigráficos y modelos 3D), y las nuevas tecnologías pueden ser capaces de ayudar en la visualizacion y el estudio de dichos datos. En este documento se presenta nuestro trabajo en curso que describe el diseño de una forma innovadora de interactuar con la complejidad de una reconstrucción virtual, mediante gestos naturales y avanzadas técnicas de aprendizaje, en directa colaboración con los arqueólogos.Albertini, N.; Brogni, A.; Caramiaux, B.; Gillies, M.; Olivito, R.; Taccola, E. (2016). NATURAL GESTURE INTERACTION IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS: WORK IN PROGRESS. En 8th International congress on archaeology, computer graphics, cultural heritage and innovation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 284-287. https://doi.org/10.4995/arqueologica8.2016.3400OCS28428

PROTEUS: an immersive tool for exploring the world of cultural heritage across space and time scales

AbstractIn the field of digital humanities, it is increasingly necessary to develop and validate virtual reality tools that are capable of combining various scientific data in a virtualized context providing also access and user friendly consultation of online repositories. This paper reports the main aspects of the implementation of a virtual reality tool integrated with an online repository for storing 3D models, metadata and chemical analyses related to different sectors of digital humanities. The virtual reality software, developed for the Oculus Quest 2 hardware, is called PROTEUS and allows for seamless transition from the macroscopic world of digital humanities to the microscopic world of molecular sciences. The paper illustrates, by means of some case studies, the performances of this innovative tool that permits the researcher to understand and manipulate objects, to test hypotheses and to seek meaningful results, visualising the metadata while changing the parameters of the simulation in a dynamic and interactive way. This represents also a significant step forward in the democratisation of science, thanks to an user-friendly and immersive access to advanced scientific algorithms, which allow the natural perception of structural and topological features of the underlying molecular and supra-molecular systems. Graphical Abstrac

Designing natural gesture interaction for archaeological data in immersive environments

Archaeological data are heterogeneous, making it difficult to correlate and combine different types. Datasheets and pictures, stratigraphic data and 3D models, time and space mixed together: these are only a few of the categories a researcher has to deal with. New technologies may be able to help in this process and trying to solve research related problems needs innovative solutions. In this paper, we describe the whole process for the design and development of a prototype application that uses an Immersive Virtual Reality system to acces archaeological excavation 3D data through the Gesture Variation Follower (GVF) algorithm. This makes it possible to recognise which gesture is being performed and how it is performed. Archaeologists have participated actively in the design of the interface and the set of gestures used for triggering the different tasks. Interactive machine learning techniques have been used for the real time detection of the gestures. As a case study the agora of Segesta (Sicily, Italy) has been selected. Indeed, due to the complex architectural features and the still ongoing fieldwork activities, Segesta represents an ideal context where to test and develop a research approach integrating both traditional and more innovative tools and methods

The Italian National Project of Astrobiology-Life in Space-Origin, Presence, Persistence of Life in Space, from Molecules to Extremophiles

The \u2018\u2018Life in Space\u2019\u2019 project was funded in the wake of the Italian Space Agency\u2019s proposal for the development of a network of institutions and laboratories conceived to implement Italian participation in space astrobiology experiments

Interacción a manos libres en la simulación virtual del ágora de Segesta

Este artículo es producto del trabajo de un grupo interdisciplinario de arqueólogos e investigadores de la Scuola Normale Superiore y de la Universidad de Pisa, Italia. Presenta una nueva aplicación que combina técnicas gráficas por computadora y métodos de fotogrametría terrestre y aérea (Structure from Motion) para monitorear, documentar y registrar las diversas fases de una excavación arqueológica, así como para crear un modelo digital en 3d del ágora (plaza pública) de Segesta, un importante sitio arqueológico localizado en Sicilia, Italia. La novedosa aplicación permite interactuar a manos libres con la simulación del ágora de Segesta y con los modelos de las diferentes fases de excavación del sitio. Específicamente, el operador usa una interface natural con gestos manuales para deslizar y visualizar los modelos de las capas arqueológicas, que pueden alinearse perfectamente. Usando la misma interface, se pueden desplegar modelos de artefactos significativos descubiertos durante la excavación y obtener los metadatos respectivos (almacenados en un servidor especial), los cuales pueden también ser visualizados en dispositivos externos (tabletas o monitores) sin tener que portar ningún tipo de dispositivo externo. Todas estas funciones se contextualizan en la simulación completa del ágora, por lo que es posible verificar interpretaciones antiguas y mejorar las nuevas en tiempo real

Hand-free Interaction in the Virtual Simulation of the agora of Segesta

The aim of the paper is to illustrate an application of immersive virtual reality, concerning the archaeological investigation in the agora of Segesta. The research, led by a team of archaeologists and researchers of the Scuola Normale Superiore and the University of Pisa, has developed a 3D simulation of the ancient agora, allowing experts and non-experts to virtually reproduce the excavation activity and to interact with the hypothetical reconstruction of the monuments. The application is configured to run in two different virtual environments: within the CAVE-like system of the DreamsLab at the Scuola Normale Superiore, where the user can manage it in a complete hand-free way, and on wearable, such as the Oculus Rift DK2 and the Myo Armband, making the application easily portable and available on the field, during the fieldwork activity, the final goal being to bridge the gap between the data acquisition and interpretation steps

Digital Acquisition and Modelling of the Minoan Seals and Sealings Kept in Two Italian Museums

This is the presentation of the main results of a research project carried out by a joint team from the Aegean Lab of the University of Florence and DREAMS Lab of the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.This project was aimed at applying a multidisciplinary methodology specifically designed to explore the use and function of Late Bronze Age Aegean seals and sealings. Sealings have different shapes, show various traces on the clay and, at times, also bear inscriptions. In order to emphasize these features, we developed 3D models of the most representative and best preserved seals and sealings housed in two Italian museums, namely the National Archaeological Museum of Florence and the National Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum “L. Pigorini” in Rome. During the conference, we also showed a virtual simulation, in which different possible scenarios were reconstructed

ETRUSCAN HYPOGEA IN 3D: A PROPOSAL FOR AN IMMERSIVE AND INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION OF VOLTERRA’S FUNERARY CONTEXTS

This article describes an interdisciplinary study carried out by a team of archaeologists, 3D surveyors and experts of new technologies applied to cultural heritage. The research was aimed at developing a virtual reality experience dedicated to Etruscan hypogean tombs in the city of Volterra. The application, intended for non-expert users, has been implemented in a touch screen version (mobile devices) as well as in VR mode (Samsung Gear Headset). In both versions, the user can easily interact with the immersive virtual context, browsing through the necropolises and/or underground tombs, and acquire textual and multimedia information