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Advanced Technologies, Visual and Performing Arts, Entertainment: Exploring New Forms of Geoheritage and Geosite Promotion

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A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 7728

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura Valentini

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Guest Editor

Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, 61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
Interests: geomorphology; geoheritage; comunication through art; scanning electron microscopy; volcanology

Dr. Chiara Martinello

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Interests: landslides; GIS analysis; geomorphological mapping; GIS and environmental modeling; GIS and remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, collaboration between technologists, artists and geoscientists is becoming increasingly valuable to communicate complex geoscience topics to non-experts. Device technologies and software solutions are becoming important mediums to convey information and engage a wide audience on environmental issues. When communication has an emotional and human context with an interplay between technology and art, it becomes extremely effective and more easily accessible.

It is becoming increasingly evident that technology is vital for creating new ways of undertaking research and stimulating discussion in relation to science–art collaborations. Music and poetry, for example, can be effective tools for communicating science to diverse and non-specialist audiences. They can encourage people to be receptive to scientific issues related to the conservation and protection of geological and cultural heritage and, in so doing, contribute to preserving scientific content in a deeper way.

Therefore, this Special Issue is devoted to presenting new methods of communication using technology, as well as visual and performing arts, in relation to real or virtual geosites, and all kinds of entertainment methods to engage the public in promoting and protecting geological heritage.

This Special Issue will publish high-quality, original research papers in the overlapping fields of geology, geomorphology, geoheritage, technology, art, communication, entertainment, and education.

Dr. Laura Valentini
Dr. Chiara Martinello
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

tecnologies
software solutions
communication methods
geosites
visual and performing arts
field trips
geoheritage
sustainability
awareness

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 6578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

HUSH (Hiking in Urban Scientific Heritage): The Augmented Reality for Enhancing the Geological and Naturalistic Heritage in Urban Areas

by Laura Melelli, Giulio Bianchini and Livio Fanò

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(15), 8857; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13158857 - 31 Jul 2023

Viewed by 778

Abstract

Over the past two decades, significant efforts have been made to diversify the tourism industry and enhance its educational experience. One such endeavor is urban trekking and geotourism, which have emerged as important means of promoting geological knowledge. The recent advancements in augmented reality technologies as well as the increasing availability of ‘born digital’ data such as those gathered from social media create a basis for the development of immersive and customized touristic experiences. Urban scientific heritage, augmented reality, and data mining are the key elements of the HUSH project. Its first focus is the identification of the naturalistic components in a given urban area (flora, fauna, and geological features) through literature surveys and scientific research. These factors become points of interest (PoIs) along touristic paths, where they are connected to the historical and artistic components of the area. Augmented reality serves as the medium through which the user can access this content. The contents are delivered as videos, text, images, or interactive 3D models. The mobile application from this project is a useful tool for promoting geoheritage and naturalistic values in urban areas and for improving the awareness and the sustainability of our cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies, Visual and Performing Arts, Entertainment: Exploring New Forms of Geoheritage and Geosite Promotion)

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18 pages, 3271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking the Public Space Design Process Using Extended Reality as a Game Changer for 3D Co-Design

by Mario Matthys, Laure De Cock, Lieze Mertens, Kobe Boussauw, Philippe De Maeyer and Nico Van de Weghe

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(14), 8392; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13148392 - 20 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3114

Abstract

Public space design processes are complex. Numerous preconditions and the involvement of stakeholders impede rapid decision making. Two-dimensional drawings remain the norm, although these are difficult for citizen stakeholders to understand. Public space designers rarely use 3D city models, infrastructure building information modeling, digital twins, or extended reality. Usually, 3D images (without animation) are only rendered after decision making for communication purposes. This study consists of an online questionnaire of 102 Flemish region (Belgium) stakeholders to show the appeal of and resistance to the use of 3D and extended reality in public space design processes. In a follow-up experiment, 37 participants evaluated various graphic techniques by their designs and observations. The questionnaire showed that all stakeholders lack experience with the use of virtual reality in design processes. We found that non-designer stakeholders and designers indicated that using virtual reality and interactive online 3D tools using game engines provided a better insight into communication and design. Reusing 3D designs in cycling simulators during the design process results in cost-effective quality optimization, and integration into digital twins or animated spatial time machines paves the way for hybrid, 4D cities. Extended reality supports 3D co-design that has simplicity and clarity from the outset of the design process, a trait that makes it a game changer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies, Visual and Performing Arts, Entertainment: Exploring New Forms of Geoheritage and Geosite Promotion)

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19 pages, 8580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Trail as a Tool to Promote Cultural and Geoheritage: The Case Study of Mount Cusna Geosite (Northern Italian Apennines)

by Anna Masseroli, Irene M. Bollati, Laura Fracasetti and Luca Trombino

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 6420; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13116420 - 24 May 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1519

Abstract

The soil is a component of geodiversity, a geoheritage element providing knowledge of how the geosphere works and interacts with other Earth subsystems. To promote soil as a geoheritage element, we aim to create a geotouristic trail focused on soil, geomorphology, and geoarcheology in the area of Mt. Cusna (Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park, Northern Italy), where there is a 20-years long-lasting history of research on geopedology, geoarcheology, and geomorphology. Along existing hiking paths, five soil profiles are identified as sites of potential pedological interest, whereas three more sites are selected to show the geomorphological context of the area and one the geoarcheological evidence. The soil evidence allows for the reconstruction of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions, and/or retraction of the human impact that has affected the area over time. In order to communicate the information about the geotouristic trail, illustrative panels were prepared for each trail site and underwent a formative evaluation by students attending academic courses in Natural Sciences to improve the offer. Through the trail, it will be possible to enable the visitor to discover the soil concept, which is often poorly known or even underestimated in its scientific and cultural value. Moreover, the cultural opportunities of the Mt. Cusna geosite will be enhanced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies, Visual and Performing Arts, Entertainment: Exploring New Forms of Geoheritage and Geosite Promotion)

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Review

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12 pages, 1226 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advanced Technologies for Geosite Visualization and Valorization: A Review

by Federico Pasquaré Mariotto, Noemi Corti and Kyriaki Drymoni

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(9), 5598; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13095598 - 1 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1736

Abstract

This review attempts to summarize contributions by authors who, in the last decade, have dedicated their efforts to making geoheritage accessible to the public. Geoheritage is composed of geosites, which are, nowadays, real milestones on which field-based geological education can be conducted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in particular has made it clear that a new paradigm is needed; a series of tools must be introduced and increasingly used to make it possible for potential users, be they academics, students, or the lay public, to experience geosites from locations that can be thousands of kilometers away. All these have been achieved over time by a wide range of evolving techniques and advanced technologies such as GIS tools, virtual reality applications and further innovative technologies such as WebGIS platforms accompanied by appropriate navigation tools (VR headsets and thumbsticks). The viewers, in this way, are provided with a complete view of a virtual geosite, which enables visualizing its characteristics at different scales. VR technologies, especially, have revealed a high degree of satisfaction, based on feedback collected from VR geosite visualization events, both by scientists, students and the general public, and could be the forefront of geosite visualization and valorization in the near future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies, Visual and Performing Arts, Entertainment: Exploring New Forms of Geoheritage and Geosite Promotion)

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