Virtual reality tools for the west digital conservatory of archaeological heritage

Abstract

In the continuation of the 3D data production work made by the WDCAH, the use of virtual reality tools allows archaeologists to carry out analysis and understanding research about their sites. In this paper, we focus on the virtual reality services proposed to archaeologists in the WDCAH, through the example of two archaeological sites, the Temple de Mars in Corseul and the Cairn of Carn Island.

Contextualization of Archaeological Information Using Augmented Photospheres, Viewed with Head-Mounted Displays

“…To the best of our knowledge, although common mathematical tools based on Procrustes registration, thin plate splines, and simple optimization are involved, such implementations were not available in popular game engines, or in packages and libraries of the main programming languages. The final equirectangular images can be used as supplementary layers over the original photospheres, and incorporated into virtual archaeological tours [45,46], or rendered individually by dedicated web viewers, or stand-alone VR browsers for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and for tablets and smartphones based on Android or iOS The augmentation of the photosphere is undoubtedly effective for better understanding of the monument, especially for apprehending the spatial organization of symbols at the surface of the stela (Figure 6A,B; see also in Supplementary Material, Figures S5 and S6 for the original and augmented jpeg images). Note that several photospheres could have been captured to cover the other sides of the stela, allowing visitors to change their point of view, while maintaining their perception of environmental scale and space.…”

“…To the best of our knowledge, although common mathematical tools based on Procrustes registration, thin plate splines, and simple optimization are involved, such implementations were not available in popular game engines, or in packages and libraries of the main programming languages. The final equirectangular images can be used as supplementary layers over the original photospheres, and incorporated into virtual archaeological tours [45,46], or rendered individually by dedicated web viewers, or stand-alone VR browsers for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and for tablets and smartphones based on Android or iOS (Photo Sphere Viewer, Panorama Viewer, Insta360 Player, PhotoSphere Viewer). The HMDs should; however, be privileged for better immersion, almost real-life experiences, greatly enhancing spatial perception.…”

Dual-Mode User Interfaces for Web Based Interactive 3D Virtual Environments Using Three.js

“…Advanced 3D graphics are increasingly being used in web applications in a variety of areas [1], such as digital heritage [2,3], surgical training and museum exhibitions. However, the use of interactive 3D web environments for web content is still limited, despite the availability of modern graphics hardware.…”

Urban History in 4 Dimensions – Supporting Research and Education

“…The actual user benefit of applications greatly depends on the usability, suitability and efficiency of the technical solutions (Dudek et al, 2015). The target group depends on the objective, whether (a) scientific research, (b) pedagogical application, or (c) study of historical sites (Barreau et al, 2014). The new scale of research and information retrieval creates various new challenges.…”