Practical Aspects of Using 3D Technology to Disseminate Cultural Heritage Among Visually Impaired People

Abstract

The development of 3D technology allows the digitisation of cultural heritage objects. Despite the fact that 3D scanning technology is not fully developed, it offers great opportunities for recording spatial data. Three-dimensional digital recording can be made for museum exhibits as well as for historic architectural objects. The method used is a non-invasive (non-contact) method, which is a significant advantage when working with historic buildings. The use of 3D scanners makes it possible to reduce the risk of damage to the monument. The application of a safe method of 3D scanning facilitates digital archiving of objects, which gives many possibilities of their use. One of them is digital dissemination of three-dimensional models and even making replicas using 3D printing technology. These types of models make it possible to reach a wide audience. First of all, they provide access to monuments for people with special needs, who currently constitute over a dozen percent of the population. In particular, they are the elderly, sick or people with various types of disabilities, e.g. motionally or visually impaired people. Literature analysis as well as conversations with dysfunctional people show that 3D digitisation of cultural heritage objects is needed and expected. The article presents an example of the use of modern 3D technologies for the dissemination of cultural heritage on the example of objects from the area of the Silk Road. A two-track process of making small museum artefacts available is presented. The first track concerns making objects available in the form of interactive digital 3D models placed on websites. The second one uses real models printed in 3D technology, which can be made available to visually impaired people. The work discusses the course of joint activities to prepare these 3D models and specialised activities that are necessary to make both versions of 3D models for presentation on the web and for kinaesthetic cognition, i.e. by touch. The authors’ actions resulted in the preparation of 3D models of historic vessels from the turn of the 11th/12th centuries from the ancient city of Afrasiyab – a suburb of modern Samarkand in Uzbekistan.