From 3D reconstruction to virtual reality: A complete methodology for digital archaeological exhibition

For nearly two decades, virtual reality (VR) technologies have been employed in the field of cultural heritage for various purposes. The safeguard, the protection and the fruition of the remains of the past have gained a powerful tool, thanks to the potentialities of immersive visualization and 3D reconstruction of archaeological sites and finds. VR applications based on videogame technologies are known for their realism and fluid interactivity, but the choice of the fittest technologies remains a complex task because there is an ample number of hardware devices and software development kits. Moreover the design of a VR application for cultural heritage requires several different professional skills and presents a certain complexity in coordination and management. This paper presents strategies to overcome these problems, by suggesting some guidelines for the development of VR systems for cultural heritage. It illustrates a complete methodology to create a virtual exhibition system, based on realistic high-quality 3D models of archaeological finds (reconstructed using a 3D Scanner and a high definition camera) and a low-cost multimedia stereoscopic system called MNEME, which allows the user to interact in a free and easy way with a rich collection of archaeological finds. The solution we propose is intended to be easy to transport and fully usable by different user typologies, without any external assistance or supervision. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.