Improving Accessibility to Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation Using Virtual Reality

Abstract

Presentations of virtual cultural heritage artifacts are often communicated via the medium of interactive digital storytelling. The synergy of a storied narrative embedded within a 3D virtual reconstruction context has high consumer appeal and edutainment value. We investigate if 360° videos presented through virtual reality further contribute to user immersion for the application of preserving intangible cultural heritage. A case study then analyzes whether conventional desktop media is significantly different from virtual reality as a medium for immersion in intangible heritage contexts. The case study describes bridge diving at Stari Most, the old bridge in Mostar Bosnia. This application aims to present and preserve the bridge diving tradition at this site. The project describes the site and history along with cultural connections, and a series of quiz questions are presented after viewing all of the materials. Successful completion of the quiz allows a user to participate in a virtual bridge dive. The subjective evaluation provided evidence to suggest that our method is successful in preserving intangible heritage and communicating ideas in key areas of concern for this heritage that can be used to develop a preservation framework in the future. It was also possible to conclude that experience within the virtual reality framework did not affect effort expectancy for the web application, but the same experience significantly influenced the performance expectancy construct.

3D technologies for intangible cultural heritage preservation—literature review for selected databases

“…The documentation area consists of various aspects of ICH: music [ 71 , 96 ], tuna fishing [ 19 ], crafting [ 20 , 21 ] storytelling [ 57 , 60 , 121 ], visualisation of historical sites in Iran [ 114 ], Art Gallery of Shanghai Style Lacquerware [ 55 ], capturing dance [ 33 , 34 , 40 , 41 , 111 ], art [ 110 ], virtual exhibitions [ 62 , 99 , 100 , 105 , 145 ], 3D models [ 94 , 146 ] and settlement [ 147 , 148 ]. Oral interpretations and their expressions are also one of ICH type.…”

Interaction in eXtended Reality Applications for Cultural Heritage

“…In the Sarajevo War Tunnel VR [47] and the Mostar Cliff Diving VR [48,49], we used controller movement imitating hand movements while walking. Thus, in order to move, users had to hold the controller triggers and shake hands as they would when walking or running.…”

Time Travel to the Past of Bosnia and Herzegovina through Virtual and Augmented Reality

“…Customs, legends and crafts are slowly disappearing from public memory. After the successful Mostar Bridge Diving VR project [30] where we digitized the 300 year old tradition of jumping from the Old Bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, we decided to use the VR technology for the presentation and preservation of crafts present in Old Town Sarajevo-Baščaršija since the 15th century. Throughout history their number has been growing and in 1898 57 different crafts and 31 guilds were recorded in the census of Bosnian Sanjak [31].…”