3D reconstruction and validation of historical background for immersive VR applications and games: The case study of the Forum of Augustus in Rome

Abstract

In the last decades, thanks to the success of the video games industry, the sector of technologies applied to cultural heritage has begun to envisage, in this domain, new possibilities for the dissemination of heritage and the study of the past through edutainment models. More recently, experimentation in the field of virtual archaeology has led to the development of virtual museums and interactive applications. Among these, the “serious game” segment – the application of interactive technologies to the cultural heritage domain – is rapidly growing, also including immersive VR technologies. Applied VR games and applications are characterized by a thorough historical background and a validated 3D reconstruction. Indeed, producing such products requires a tailored workflow and large effort in terms of time and professionals involved to guarantee such faithfulness. Drawing on our previous work in the field of virtual archaeology and referring to recent experiences related to the deployment of applied VR games on PlayStation VR ©, we describe and assess a workflow for the production of historically accurate 3D assets, targeting interactive, immersive VR products. The workflow is supported by the case study of the Forum of Augustus and different output applications, highlighting peculiarities and issues emerging from a multi and interdisciplinary approach.