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

Fabrice Monna, Nicolas Navarro, Jérôme Magail, Rodrigue Guillon, Tanguy Rolland, Josef Wilczek, Yury Esin and Carmela Chateau
Additional contact information
Fabrice Monna: ARTEHIS, UMR 6298 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
Nicolas Navarro: Biogéosciences, UMR CNRS EPHE 6282, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
Jérôme Magail: Musée d’Anthropologie Préhistorique de Monaco, MC 98000, Monaco
Rodrigue Guillon: Archéologies Sciences de l’Antiquité, UMR 7041 CNRS Université de Paris 1, 92023 Nanterre, France
Tanguy Rolland: ARTEHIS, UMR 6298 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
Josef Wilczek: ARTEHIS, UMR 6298 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
Yury Esin: Khakassian Research Institute of Language, Literature and History, 655017 Abakan, Russia
Carmela Chateau: UFR SVTE, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 14, 1-13

Abstract: Photospheres, or 360° photos, offer valuable opportunities for perceiving space, especially when viewed through head-mounted displays designed for virtual reality. Here, we propose to take advantage of this potential for archaeology and cultural heritage, and to extend it by augmenting the images with existing documentation, such as 2D maps or 3D models, resulting from research studies. Photospheres are generally produced in the form of distorted equirectangular projections, neither georeferenced nor oriented, so that any registration of external documentation is far from straightforward. The present paper seeks to fill this gap by providing simple practical solutions, based on rigid and non-rigid transformations. Immersive virtual environments augmented by research materials can be very useful to contextualize archaeological discoveries, and to test research hypotheses, especially when the team is back at the laboratory. Colleagues and the general public can also be transported to the site, almost physically, generating an authentic sense of presence, which greatly facilitates the contextualization of the archaeological information gathered. This is especially true with head-mounted displays, but the resulting images can also be inspected using applications designed for the web, or viewers for smartphones, tablets and computers.

Keywords: virtual reality; archaeology; scientific mediation; visualization; cultural heritage; registration; thin-plate spline; Procrustes; projection; computer graphics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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