Abstract
Abstract. The research treats the application of technologies related with augmented and virtual reality to architectural and historical context in the city of Havana, Cuba, on the basis of historical studies and Range-Imaging techniques on buildings bordering old city’s five main squares. The specific aim is to transfer all of the data received thanks to the most recent mobiles apps about Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR), in order to give birth to an innovative App never seen before in Cuba. The “Oficina del Historiador de la ciudad de La Habana”, institution supervising architectural and cultural asset in Cuba, is widely interested in the topic in order to develop a new educational, cultural and artistic tool to be used both online and offline.
Highlights
For what is concerning historical investigation and surveys traditional techniques were employed, consolidated and enriched thanks to the great amount of specificities collected during the survey exeperience itself, carried out in Havana's five main squares (Figure 1)
"Structure for motion" and "Image-based modeling" processes were applicated as well. This specialised technique it's been in use for a long time in this field altough not in Cuba, as much as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are techological systems still very connected to modern devices with good margin for further development but almost uncovered here
A report launched by IDC (Internal Data Corporation), first institution in the world specialized in Market Research & Analysis for technologies in digital innovation, supports that over the coming years we will assist to an explosive growth of incomes in AR/VR sector
Summary
For what is concerning historical investigation and surveys traditional techniques were employed, consolidated and enriched thanks to the great amount of specificities collected during the survey exeperience itself, carried out in Havana's five main squares (Figure 1). Software and hardware developers pushed on experimentation and commercialization of blippAR systems which enable the identification of images and a subsequent overlapping of multimedia and interactional additional contents, together with hardware technologies allowing the user to experience various dimension and submersion on a virtual level Those cutting edge devices are, for example, electronic glasses dedicated to augmented reality like Google Glass, GlassUp, Microsoft HoloLens and Sony SmartEyeGlass, or some futuristic hypertechnological eye lenses (Figure 2). Today Cuba’s will of openness and the enormous touristic request recently occurred in the country offer good conditions for cultural tourism market to grow (Mohammed-Amin, 2010) For this reason an unstoppable development is expected for what is concerning HumanComputer Interaction for tourism’s business benefit (Figure 3). Tourism and business operators could take advantage of this innovative technology to evolve the means through which news and contents are conveyed, enriching the user’s visual field thanks to new input and quite unprecedent stimulations
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
