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Applied Sciences
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Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II
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Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Computing and Artificial Intelligence".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2022) | Viewed by 28842
Related Special Issue: Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stella Sylaiou

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, 26335 Patra, Greece
Interests: digital humanities; cultural informatics; digital museology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Christos Fidas

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece
Interests: human–computer interactions; cultural heritage; cognitive user modeling; adaptation; personalization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fotis Liarokapis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CYENS—Centre of Excellence, Nicosia 1016, Cyprus
Interests: virtual reality; augmented reality; human–machine interaction; brain–computer interfaces; serious games; procedural modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advancements in Virtual Reality (VR) technologies have provided new opportunities for cultural heritage organizations to attract, engage, and support end users more effectively by creating unprecedented interactive experiences that can scaffold user creativity, learning, collaboration, and entertainment. However, several user studies have underpinned the necessity to further investigate and improve current approaches and practices related to the design, implementation, and evaluation of VR applications to fulfill the requirements of all involved stakeholders. One possible way to achieve this objective is through the provision of personalized VR user experiences that cater to the diverse characteristics and requirements of stakeholders.

The aim of this Special Issue is to attract leading researchers at the intersection of VR and cultural heritage in an effort to highlight the latest innovative developments in this field and discuss the underlying methods and approaches for designing, implementing, and evaluating VR experiences in the cultural heritage domain. We encourage the submission of papers that examine novel approaches that provide interesting theoretical and empirical contributions to this research theme, as well as future research suggestions. Accepted contributions will include theoretical considerations, experimental validation, and proof-of-concept applications.

Dr. Stella Sylaiou
Dr. Christos Fidas
Dr. Fotis Liarokapis
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

  • virtual reality
  • cultural heritage
  • user studies
  • virtual reality experiences
  • personalization

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 18584 KiB  
Article
Physical and Augmented Dynamics of a Cultural Event
by Naai-Jung Shih and Tzu-Yu Chen
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(14), 7001; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12147001 - 11 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1162
Abstract
The Taiwan Lantern Festival (TLF) is a specific cultural tradition that has evolved over many years. It is a large-scale festival as determined by the large number of installations and visitors—that is, 20 million visitors in a period of two weeks. The aim [...] Read more.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival (TLF) is a specific cultural tradition that has evolved over many years. It is a large-scale festival as determined by the large number of installations and visitors—that is, 20 million visitors in a period of two weeks. The aim of this study is to combine the TLF-related physical dynamics of land use and lantern installations with the augmented dynamics of lantern installations at reallocated sites. We compared five cities in Taiwan with regard to land alterations between 2016 and 2020. The TLF land assessment identified 34 cross-referred types of land use between aerial imagery and GIS surveys in a small area of 2 km × 2 km, in total. The change in land use by year varied between 2% and 499%, up to three times. The complexity of physical dynamics was re-experienced by a more sustainable dynamic of augmented reality (AR) using a scan-to-AR approach to reactivate the installations and fabrics at redeployed sites. The installations of the 2016 TLF were applied. We found that the land use, 3D scan, and AR reshaped the spatio-temporal festivalscape by both types of dynamics. The simulation demonstrated that the fabric retrieved by heterogeneous technologies had equal importance in assessing the host city and in enabling a reactivation for more diversified scales and characters, even with a smartphone AR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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26 pages, 10046 KiB  
Article
Interactive Exploration of Virtual Heritage by Means of Natural Gestures
by Dorin-Mircea Popovici, Dorin Iordache, Radu Comes, Călin Gheorghe Dan Neamțu and Elena Băutu
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(9), 4452; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094452 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2268
Abstract
This paper is situated at the intersection of using Virtual Reality as a tool for cultural heritage preservation and using gesture interaction-based technology in order to achieve touchless, distant interaction of users with reconstructed artifacts. Various studies emphasize the positive effect on the [...] Read more.
This paper is situated at the intersection of using Virtual Reality as a tool for cultural heritage preservation and using gesture interaction-based technology in order to achieve touchless, distant interaction of users with reconstructed artifacts. Various studies emphasize the positive effect on the cultural experience brought on by the use of Virtual Reality in a museum context. We build our approach on this idea, by modeling and reconstructing museum exhibits, both small artifacts and large architectural edifices. We propose and design navigation and interaction scenarios, at the same time taking into account present day limitations regarding social interaction, imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. By considering the user in the center of the experience and focusing on enabling him/her to adjust the perspective on the visualized artifacts and to freely interact with them through natural gestures, we allow the user to immerse in the virtual environment and interact with the reconstructed artifacts by means of simple hand gestures, with no touch. Finally, we assess the usability and utility of the Virtual Reality system in a questionnaire-based study with 137 participants over a period of 6 months, whose results we discuss in the paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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24 pages, 10712 KiB  
Article
Development of the Virtual Reality Application: “The Ships of Navarino”
by Orestis Liaskos, Sofia Mitsigkola, Andreas Arapakopoulos, Georgios Papatzanakis, Alexandros Ginnis, Christos Papadopoulos, Sofia Peppa and Georgios Remoundos
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(7), 3541; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12073541 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3123
Abstract
Virtual reality and 3D modeling techniques are increasingly popular modes of representation for historical artifacts and cultural heritage, as they allow for a more immersive experience. This article describes the process that was adopted for the development of a virtual reality application for [...] Read more.
Virtual reality and 3D modeling techniques are increasingly popular modes of representation for historical artifacts and cultural heritage, as they allow for a more immersive experience. This article describes the process that was adopted for the development of a virtual reality application for four ships involved in the historic battle of Navarino. The specific naval battle was the culmination of military operations during the Greek Revolution in 1827, in which the allied British, Russian, and French fleet defeated Turkish-Egyptian forces. Representative 3D models of four significant warships that participated in the battle of Navarino were created: the British “Asia”, the French frigate “Armide”, the Russian “Azov”, and the Ottoman “Kuh-I-Revan”. These historic ships were digitally designed according to historical drawings and a VR battle environment was developed, which visitors can experience. In addition, the 3D models were generated by a 3D printer and painted according to the digitized ship-models. The development was conducted within the realm of the NAVS Project. The VR application, “The Ships of Navarino”, as well as the 3D-printed models were presented as part of a physical exhibition hosted in the Eugenides Foundation in Athens, Greece. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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14 pages, 8057 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of the Effects of a Virtual Museum on Users’ Attitudes towards Cultural Heritage
by Felipe Besoain, Jorge González-Ortega and Ismael Gallardo
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(3), 1341; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12031341 - 27 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3825
Abstract
(1) Background: Several opportunities have appeared for the dissemination of culture and heritage thanks in part to the widespread use of information and communications technologies. Virtual museums have appeared as innovative technological products but often lack an evaluation of the impact that they [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Several opportunities have appeared for the dissemination of culture and heritage thanks in part to the widespread use of information and communications technologies. Virtual museums have appeared as innovative technological products but often lack an evaluation of the impact that they have and their success in achieving their purpose. In this sense, this work seeks to evaluate the impact of a virtual museum on users’ attitudes toward cultural heritage. (2) Methods: We used a factorial design of 2 (direction of thoughts: positive vs. negative) × 2 (presence level: high vs. low) × 2 (virtual museum vs. interactive website). (3) Results: Attitudes toward heritage can change as a function of a multimedia experience, thought favorability, and presence. In a virtual museum, when general attitudes are evaluated, a sense of high psychological presence reduces the effect that thoughts (especially when negative) have on attitudes. However, in the case of visiting an interactive website, the effect of the direction of thoughts on attitudes occurred regardless of conditions of high or low presence. Similar tendencies are observed for specific attitudinal objects. (4) Conclusion: A virtual museum can have different effects depending on the interaction of important variables from the virtual reality literature and not only the classic main effects. Recommendations for interventions and future practical and theoretical work are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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13 pages, 18266 KiB  
Article
Immersive Virtual Reality Experience of Historical Events Using Haptics and Locomotion Simulation
by Agapi Chrysanthakopoulou, Konstantinos Kalatzis and Konstantinos Moustakas
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(24), 11613; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112411613 - 07 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4880
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) and 3D modeling technologies have become increasingly powerful tools for multiple fields, such as education, architecture, and cultural heritage. Museums are no longer places for only placing and exhibiting collections and artworks. They use such technologies to offer a new [...] Read more.
Virtual reality (VR) and 3D modeling technologies have become increasingly powerful tools for multiple fields, such as education, architecture, and cultural heritage. Museums are no longer places for only placing and exhibiting collections and artworks. They use such technologies to offer a new way of communicating art and history with their visitors. In this paper, we present the initial results of a proposed workflow towards highlighting and interpreting a historic event with the use of an immersive and interactive VR experience and the utilization of multiple senses of the user. Using a treadmill for navigating and haptic gloves for interacting with the environment, combined with the detailed 3D models, deepens the sense of immersion. The results of our study show that engaging multiple senses and visual manipulation in an immersive 3D environment can effectively enhance the perception of visual realism and evoke a stronger sense of presence, amplifying the educational and informative experience in a museum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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38 pages, 15450 KiB  
Article
ATON: An Open-Source Framework for Creating Immersive, Collaborative and Liquid Web-Apps for Cultural Heritage
by Bruno Fanini, Daniele Ferdani, Emanuel Demetrescu, Simone Berto and Enzo d’Annibale
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 11062; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112211062 - 22 Nov 2021
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 6112
Abstract
The web and its recent advancements represent a great opportunity to build universal, rich, multi-user and immersive Web3D/WebXR applications targeting Cultural Heritage field—including 3D presenters, inspection tools, applied VR games, collaborative teaching tools and much more. Such opportunity although, introduces additional challenges besides [...] Read more.
The web and its recent advancements represent a great opportunity to build universal, rich, multi-user and immersive Web3D/WebXR applications targeting Cultural Heritage field—including 3D presenters, inspection tools, applied VR games, collaborative teaching tools and much more. Such opportunity although, introduces additional challenges besides common issues and limitations typically encountered in this context. The “ideal” Web3D application should be able to reach every device, automatically adapting its interface, rendering and interaction models—resulting in a single, liquid product that can be consumed on mobile devices, PCs, Museum kiosks and immersive AR/VR devices, without any installation required for final users. The open-source ATON framework is the result of research and development activities carried out during the last 5 years through national and international projects: it is designed around modern and robust web standards, open specifications and large open-source ecosystems. This paper describes the framework architecture and its components, assessed and validated through different case studies. ATON offers institutions, researchers, professionals a scalable, flexible and modular solution to craft and deploy liquid web-applications, providing novel and advanced features targeting Cultural Heritage field in terms of 3D presentation, annotation, immersive interaction and real-time collaboration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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19 pages, 2992 KiB  
Article
3D Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage Sites as an Educational Approach. The Sanctuary of Delphi
by Ioannis Liritzis, Pantelis Volonakis and Spyros Vosinakis
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3635; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083635 - 17 Apr 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4167
Abstract
In the field of cultural heritage, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of monuments is a usual activity for many professionals. The aim in this paper focuses on the new technology educational application combining science, history, and archaeology. Being involved in almost all stages of implementation [...] Read more.
In the field of cultural heritage, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of monuments is a usual activity for many professionals. The aim in this paper focuses on the new technology educational application combining science, history, and archaeology. Being involved in almost all stages of implementation steps and assessing the level of participation, university students use tools of computer gaming platform and participate in ways of planning the virtual environment which improves their education through e-Learning. The virtual 3D environment is made with different imaging methods (helium-filled balloon, Structure for motion, 3D repository models) and a developmental plan has been designed for use in many future applications. Digital tools were used with 3D reconstructed buildings from the museum archive to Unity 3D for the design. The pilot study of Information Technology work has been employed to introduce cultural heritage and archaeology to university syllabuses. It included students with a questionnaire which has been evaluated accordingly. As a result, the university students were inspired to immerse themselves into the virtual lab, aiming to increasing the level of interaction. The results show a satisfactory learning outcome by an easy to use and real 3D environment, a step forward to fill in needs of contemporary online sustainable learning demands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Virtual Reality and Its Application in Cultural Heritage II)
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