Fruition Of Cultural Heritage Research Articles

Tecnologie immersive per la didattica museale: una proposta per la valorizzazione dello scambio intergenerazionale tra nonni e nipoti

The evolution of technology has led to a redefinition of training paradigms in different educational and cultural contexts. In particular, immersive technologies, which involve the user on a sensory, motor, emotional and cognitive level, have a high potential for success in learning processes. The contribution presents a proposal for the enhancement of the intergenerational exchange between elderly and young people through the fruition of cultural heritage, mediated by immersive technologies.

Site Experience Enhancement and Perspective in Cultural Heritage Fruition—A Survey on New Technologies and Methodologies Based on a “Four-Pillars” Approach

This paper deals with innovative fruition modalities of cultural heritage sites. Based on two ongoing experiments, four pillars are considered, that is, User Localization, Multimodal Interaction, User Understanding and Gamification. A survey of the existing literature regarding one or more issues related to the four pillars is proposed. It aims to put in evidence the exploitation of these contributions to cultural heritage. It is discussed how a cultural site can be enriched, extended and transformed into an intelligent multimodal environment in this perspective. This new augmented environment can focus on the visitor, analyze his activity and behavior, and make his experience more satisfying, fulfilling and unique. After an in-depth overview of the existing technologies and methodologies for the fruition of cultural interest sites, the two experiments are described in detail and the authors’ vision of the future is proposed.

Geomechanical Characterization of a Rock Cliff Hosting a Cultural Heritage through Ground and UAV Rock Mass Surveys for Its Sustainable Fruition

In mountainous areas around the world, dealing with rockfalls means facing some technical survey difficulties due to the low accessibility of areas and the height of slopes. If a cultural heritage is also threatened by such mass movement, the need of specific survey solutions, even in a combined asset, is required. This paper deals with the integration of ground and UAV rock mass surveys aimed at defining the rockfall attitude of an unstable rock cliff sector hosting an example of cultural heritage in tourist area of southern Italy, whose fruition has already been threatened by the occurrence of rockfalls. As an example of the defensive architecture of XII and XIII centuries, the Saracen Castle in Taormina is reached by hundreds of visitors each year, but its access path and the surrounding area are threatened by the unstable condition of the cliff, hosting unstable rock volumes on kinematically critical planes. In order to achieve a reliable geostructural setting of the cliff, aiming at its possible securing through proper mitigation works, ground rock mass surveys could not provide enough information due to the bad accessibility of the rock faces. Therefore, a survey by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, with a reliable verified accuracy, was carried out to map the discontinuity planes especially occurring at the highest portions of the cliff, achieving geostructural data of different fronts of the cliff. Ground and aerial data were combined and statistically analyzed to define the main kinematic failure patterns. In this perspective, a critical comparison between the two employed surveying methodologies is proposed herein, highlighting that both approaches are affected by potential and limitations and that the integration of the mutual dataset represents a suitable solution for a complete rock mass characterization in this type of areas. Furthermore, rockfall simulations allowed ascertaining that potential falling blocks would cross the access path to the castle, thus representing a natural threat to the fruition of cultural heritage, thus proving the need of mitigation measures to ensure the safe fruition of the cultural heritage.

Visual Question Answering for Cultural Heritage

Technology and the fruition of cultural heritage are becoming increasingly more entwined, especially with the advent of smart audio guides, virtual and augmented reality, and interactive installations. Machine learning and computer vision are important components of this ongoing integration, enabling new interaction modalities between user and museum. Nonetheless, the most frequent way of interacting with paintings and statues still remains taking pictures. Yet images alone can only convey the aesthetics of the artwork, lacking is information which is often required to fully understand and appreciate it. Usually this additional knowledge comes both from the artwork itself (and therefore the image depicting it) and from an external source of knowledge, such as an information sheet. While the former can be inferred by computer vision algorithms, the latter needs more structured data to pair visual content with relevant information. Regardless of its source, this information still must be be effectively transmitted to the user. A popular emerging trend in computer vision is Visual Question Answering (VQA), in which users can interact with a neural network by posing questions in natural language and receiving answers about the visual content. We believe that this will be the evolution of smart audio guides for museum visits and simple image browsing on personal smartphones. This will turn the classic audio guide into a smart personal instructor with which the visitor can interact by asking for explanations focused on specific interests. The advantages are twofold: on the one hand the cognitive burden of the visitor will decrease, limiting the flow of information to what the user actually wants to hear; and on the other hand it proposes the most natural way of interacting with a guide, favoring engagement.

Design as Collaborative Connection between User, Technology and Cultural Context

Contemporary society is characterized by changes that affect the way we interact with the surrounding environment, in everyday life as well as in the fruition of Cultural Heritage. We are witnessing digital transformations that change the methods of communication and offer new forms of information and dissemination of knowledge, through technological devices that improve the quality and experience of use as well as ensuring monitoring, enhancement and protection of the Heritage. Technological innovations, combined with new forms of interaction and dissemination of information that respect and guarantee accessibility and usability, become essential factors in order to support new ways of awareness and knowledge of culture. The paper gives an overview of digital and robotic systems able to establish new forms of dialogue and promotion of knowledge, through an interaction aimed at accessibility, inclusion and definition of new forms of shared and participatory creativity in which different knowledge and experiences converge. Through a critical-analytical analysis of these systems it will be possible to define the role of design in the configuration of new forms of communication and modes of interaction in order to improve the enhancement and enjoyment of Cultural Heritage. The new possibilities dictated by technological innovation represent the development tools for new models and processes of redefinition of the Cultural Heritage sector and design as an innovator becomes the “tool” for connecting the user, the technology and the context in which it benefits, thus increasing the experiential value and the dissemination of content to a wider audience.

“The Chiesa della Madonna dei Mali (Ferrandina, Italy) in VR”: Virtual Reality for inaccessible cultural heritage in peripheral areas

Today the VR (Virtual Reality) enable us to enter into fantasy or real other worlds to experience a growing emotional and interaction involvement. Frequently, the Virtual Reality is correlated with activities and experiences that are tricky to realize, as, for example, the discovery of the sea depths or the flying on the sky, or the discover of village and landscapes thousands of km away from us. Over the last years, VR technologies have largely applicate for a digital fruition of cultural heritage. Some examples are the observation of monumental build or virtually rebuilt archaeological sites, experiences that provide impressive and innovative virtual activities. In many cases, it is a only alternative option for discovering archeological sites in private properties or dangerous to visit and to see inaccessible cultural heritage in peripheral areas. In this work, one example of application of virtual reality is discussed: The Chiesa della Madonna dei Mali (Ferrandina, near Matera). This is a famous rural chapel localized in a country area of Ferrandina, far from the classic tourist itineraries of the city, and it contains a cycle of frescoes by Pietro Antonio Ferro, one of the most important painters of the seventeenth century in Basilicata.

Design of robotic and additive manufacturing for cultural heritage

Intuitive and sensitive interaction between robots and humans in the near future will be an integral part of our everyday life environment, to shape new ways of use and make art accessible to a wider audience. Users interact with robotic systems creating new forms of dialogue based on artificial emotions that provide constant feedback to the user through significant gestures and movements. Constantly potential of robotic technologies and additive manufacturing techniques are changing the fruition of cultural heritage through the use of innovative systems that actively involve the viewer in the educational and cognitive experience with strong sensory perceptions, in sensitive environments and interactive spaces. Through additive manufacturing, process and project procedures and paradigms change completely, proposing new design methods which differ from conventional ones. Additive technologies offer new design flexibility compared to traditional production processes, higher production speed, versatility, high precision to ensure adaptive design in functionality and features and cost optimization. The paper addresses, through illustrative case studies, new scenarios of robotic design and additive production techniques at the service of cultural heritage, identifying strengths and weaknesses to outline new design opportunities.

Analysing, modelling and promoting tangible and intangible values of building heritage with historic flame lighting system

The aim of this research is to define a multidisciplinary method capable of enhancing the tangible and intangible values of the historical-cultural heritage through the virtual reconstruction of the ancient internal flame lighting systems. The survey by laser scanner and/or by digital photogrammetry and solid modelling were the techniques used to carry out the three-dimensional reconstructions of the artefacts. The 3D model based on archaeological and historical documentation made it possible to define the lighting scenarios according to various historical-interpretative hypotheses and the reconstruction of the used luminaires. Instead, the laboratory experiments on the flame allowed obtaining the scientific reference parameters to be used in the virtual reconstruction of the lighting scenarios. This method was validated in two different case studies. The first is a cave church in Matera, a medieval religious building built entirely in the ravine with evident architectural signs that enabled to identify the ancient lighting systems. The second is a Roman villa in Mola di Bari, a devastated archaeological site among which several Roman lamps were found, thanks to which it was possible to start the study of light. In addition to making an important contribution to the community of scholars, the lighting scenarios obtained from the research also aim to enhance the architectural artefacts and promote the related history knowledge for future generations. Virtual reality, augmented reality and online 3d visualization can be some of the possible applications towards which this research can converge to promote the fruition of cultural heritage.

Thinking digital libraries for preservation as digital cultural heritage: by R to R4 facet of FAIR principles

The Art. 2 of the UE Council conclusions of 21 May 2014 on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe (2014/C 183/08) states: “Cultural heritage consists of the resources inherited from the past in all forms and aspects—tangible, intangible and digital (born digital and digitized), including monuments, sites, landscapes, skills, practices, knowledge and expressions of human creativity, as well as collections conserved and managed by public and private bodies such as museums, libraries and archives”. Starting from this assumption, we have to rethink digital and digitization as social and cultural expressions of the contemporary age. We need to rethink digital libraries produced by digitization as cultural entities and no longer as mere dataset for enhancing fruition of cultural heritage, by defining clear and homogeneous criteria to validate and certify them as memory and sources of knowledge for future generations. By expanding R: Re-usable of the FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship into R4: Re-usable, Relevant, Reliable and Resilient, this paper aims to propose a more reflective approach to creation of descriptive metadata for managing digital resource of cultural heritage, which can guarantee their long term preservation.

Sustainable Fruition of Cultural Heritage in Areas Affected by Rockfalls

This paper deals with the evaluation of rockfall risk in cultural heritage, in the frame of a quick protocol for a preliminary zonation, to ensure the safe management and sustainable fruition of the sites. Several historical complexes in mountainous areas are indeed threatened by rock slope instability, and rockfalls can be counted among the main causes of fatality. In such a complex, a rockfall risk zonation would represent a useful management tool for both the choice of specific safe tourist paths, but also for the proper employment of economic resources allocated for mitigation measures. Nevertheless, the management of cultural heritage lacks such plans and tourists are often exposed to risks, while funds are often employed without a specific priority. In this paper, a quick procedure was tested at the historical complex of Taormina (southern Italy), which hosts numerous tourist spots often affected by rockfalls. The Saracen castle, for example, is currently closed to the public due to the rockfalls that repeatedly affected the entrance road, while Castelmola village, counted among one of the most beautiful Italian villages, stands on the top of a cliff affected by frequent rockfalls involving the only access road. The approach is composed of several steps and requires a heavy site characterization in terms of historical records and geostructural setting. The risk assessment procedure was chosen among the semiquantitative ones available in literature, and the final assessed risk was represented on a thematic map to provide a tool which could be used as a base for the planning of final remedial works.

Enhancing heritage fruition through 3D virtual models and augmented reality: an application to Roman artefacts

<p>The spatial characteristics of museum exhibitions may limit visitors’ experience of the artefacts on display. In the case of large artefacts, limited space may affect their whole visualization, or inhibit the visualization of the details farthest from the observer. In other cases, the storage of artefacts in distant sites (museums or archaeological areas) may influence their knowledge process or the possibility for comparative analysis. Moreover, the precarious state of preservation of some artefacts, with damaged or missing parts, makes it difficult to perceive their original appearance. To overcome these limitations, we propose an integrated approach based on 3D virtual models and Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance the fruition of artefacts, improving their visualization, analysis and personal/shared knowledge, also by overcoming space and time constraints. The final AR application is an easily accessible tool for most users from a mobile device, used both inside and outside museums, opening new perspectives for fruition. The framework encourages the use of free and open source software and standard devices, to maximize their dissemination and exploit the potential of such technologies, which is far greater than current use in the cultural heritage field. Selected case studies to test and validate the integrated framework are proposed, dealing with some Roman artefacts found in the area of Modena (Italy). The first is a Roman floor mosaic, found in Savignano sul Panaro (near Modena) in 2011, of which less than half of its original 4.5 x 6.9 m surface is preserved. The others are two Roman funerary lion sculptures: the first is one of two lions flanking the main door of Modena Cathedral, and the second, well-preserved but damaged, is housed in the Museo Lapidario Estense of Modena. Finally, the application was tested by museum experts and visitors both inside and outside the museum, and positively assessed.</p><p><strong>Highlights:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Digital practice is not understood as a prerogative of a small number of people, but as a tool to guarantee and expand artefact fruition, using standard devices and free and open source software.</p></li><li><p>Experimentation of new settings to re-contextualize artefacts and establish possible links among them, offering engaging and customized experiences to improve their accessibility and enjoyment.</p></li><li><p>Promotion of artefact fruition not only in but also outside museums, such as in a classroom or an open and shared space, opening to new approaches in the fruition of cultural heritage.</p></li></ul>

GLOBE BASED 3D GIS SOLUTIONS FOR VIRTUAL HERITAGE

Abstract. During the last years, many solutions have been proposed for 3D Virtual Heritage representations. Recently, also new technologies for online gaming evolved, based on javascript libraries (WebGL), used to create and publish virtual interactive environments. They are based on recent Web browser’s functionalities, surpassing some limitations of VRML technologies. On the side of geospatial information, technology has evolved from desktop GIS to 2D WebGIS and globe applications. The use of globe applications is, today, very diffused due to its immediate and at the same time impressive representation of the earth surface and territories. These technologies have been, also, applied to Virtual Heritage 3D reconstructions, to improve the fruition of Cultural Heritage (CH), with the achievement of interesting results. The topic of this paper is the experimentation on the fusion between globe based and gaming technologies (in our case WebGL) that allow achieving a more user-centric and powerful solution useful for publishing 3D geospatial information of CH on Web. This choice allows obtaining GIS oriented 3D models, typical of globe applications, and, at the same time, a more immersive exploration of CH and its surrounding environment. In particular, it also gives complementary text and multimedia information on the history, architectural features of each cultural good, based on querying of semantic information. The test field of the research is the construction of the 3D GIS virtual globe model of the Manfredonic Castle of Mussomeli (Sicily-Italy), developed for PON-NEPTIS EU Project, to compare open-source technologies and commercial proprietary applications.

Application of binaural audio techniques for immersive fruition of cultural heritage

In this paper we address the issue of enriching the fruition of museums and art shows for the visitors. We preliminary consider the design of an immersive audio environment by means of 3D audio rendering, aiming to provide each user a deeper connection with each exhibited artwork. By exploiting a real-time binaural audio system, artworks become virtual sources of the audio guide voice, making the user perceive they personally speak to her/him. As an advantage, the implementation of the proposed framework relies on basic audio and signal processing techniques, that is, no expensive or personalized equipment for the visitors is required. Furthermore, since the proposed method is independent of the recording stage, existing audio tracks or even real-time speech can be used.

Laser scanners for remote diagnostic and virtual fruition of cultural heritage

The recent development of laser scanners in environmental diagnostics made possible to implement their prototypes for remote characterization of cultural heritage (CH) surfaces. Specific data analysis algorithms have been developed to handle large data set acquired in high resolution operation. Non-invasive, or at least micro-invasive methodologies applied on real CH targets have shown the possibility to obtain information on surface appearance, morphology and composition. The added value of optical and spectroscopic integrated sensors is discussed for some significant case studies addressed both to a deep knowledge of the artifacts (materials and methods of realization) and to their structural characterization.

Hybrid three-dimensional representation based on panoramic images and three-dimensional models for a virtual museum: Data collection, model, and visualization

As an important part of the public service and educational infrastructures for national culture and heritage culture, a virtual museum presents the user experience of a real museum, with visitors, educators, and tourists interacting with the prepared digital culture contents by a mouse, touch panel, and other augmented reality devices. The goal of virtual museum is to help students and visitors to move around the virtual museum space freely and generate experience and satisfaction from the fruition of cultural heritage anytime, anywhere, and from any device. This study presents a hybrid three-dimensional virtual museum based on panoramic images and three-dimensional models. A technical framework of hybrid three-dimensional virtual museum is proposed on the basis of a typical three-tier architecture, which includes the data layer, technique supporting layer, and application layer. A hybrid three-dimensional data organization approach with geo-referenced sequence panoramic images and three-dimensional models is designed to build the data layer of hybrid three-dimensional virtual museum. A three-dimensional scene of geo-referenced sequence panoramic images and three-dimensional models is created in real time using Unity three-dimensional and web service under the mobile Internet environment for hybrid three-dimensional virtual museum. The different applications of hybrid three-dimensional virtual museum based on the data layer and technique infrastructure are designed to achieve handheld virtual museum guidance and navigation, three-dimensional browsing, and heritage culture information query for visitors with smartphones to access anytime and anywhere. As an example, a hybrid three-dimensional virtual museum application for Jinsha Archaeological Site Museum is developed with the proposed approach. The geo-referenced sequence panoramic images of museum galleries, together with three-dimensional models of cultural relics, can integrate seamlessly to a three-dimensional reality-based museum space where users can move around the space actively and freely with all kinds of personal computer and smartphone clients.

A layered structure for a design space dedicated to rich interactive multimedia content

In this paper we propose and discuss a layered organization for a design space suitable for the visualization of and interaction with rich information environments, made of multimedia and multidimensional information, supporting multi-device deployment. We propose to associate each design space layer to a different category of information, corresponding to different user goals and exploration spaces. Extending the focus+context and overview+detail approaches typical of complex information visualization, the layered design space and the associated information categories cover a wide range from a global universe of discourse down into the ultimate data items, through discrete intermediate steps corresponding to refinements of details and of navigation functions. Each category defines an association with a specific knowledge goal, the deployment on a suitable class of devices and the access through adequate interaction techniques. Such design process is applied to two case studies, one in the domain of cultural heritage fruition, the other in energy consumption management.

Re-thinking the validity of the past. Deconstructing what authenticity and integrity mean to the fruition of cultural heritage

<p class="Abstracttext-VITRUVIO"><span lang="EN-GB">There is a lively ongoing debate on Critical Heritage Studies and the Authorised Heritage Discourse, but quite a few authors have viewed the issue from a canonical perspective where the wider Cultural Built Heritage visual experience is assessed and valued in relation with authenticity and integrity. The terms static authenticity and dynamic authenticity appear in this text as dependent on heritage connectivity. Two main arguments are developed in this study. Firstly, a general overview of the context is proposed in order to understand the vernacular internationally. Secondly, the article offers an inside view intended to provide an accurate interpretation of how the vernacular is scrutinised and understood. A fundamental issue discussed in this paper is how cultural heritage is ruled, protected, enhanced, experienced and managed on different scales.</span></p>

From Territory to Smartphone: Smart Fruition of Cultural Heritage for Dynamic Tourism Development

Augmented reality is a new technology that merges the virtual and the real worlds and offers important support in all planning processes. Using mobile devices, planning information can be implemented with smart and participative solutions for a dynamic fruition of cultural heritage [Brondi, R., Carrozzino, M., Tecchia, F., & Bergamasco, M. (2012) Mobile augmented reality for cultural dissemination, in: P. Nesi & R. Santucci (Eds), ECLAP 2012 Conference on Information Technologies for Performing Arts, Media and Entertainment, pp. 113–118 (Firenze: Firenze University Press); Hatzelhoffer, L., et al. (2012) Smart City in Practice: Innovation Lab Between Vision and Reality (Jovis). Technologies are important tools because they make a city smart by making concrete contributions to trigger dynamic processes of place-based development. Three important factors improve urban planning fruition: participation in the early stages of listening and co-design; enlightened governance and new technology. This paper (1) presents the actual possibilities and challenges of augmented reality in the field of cultural heritage, (2) describes a simulation of one case study in a neighbourhood in Cagliari (Italy), by proposing customized paths with the aim of promoting cultural tourism and (3) explains the benefits of using augmented reality in touristic and place-based processes based on the case study.

Smart paths for advanced management of cultural heritage

Internet and mobile communication has transformed the manner of conventionally interacting with cultural heritage, creating dynamic networks for all those involved. It provides opportunities to experiment with innovative mobile applications that, valorizing historical and environmental resources, complement the broader context of smart cities/regions. This paper aims to study an advanced virtual on-site fruition of cultural heritage by users–consumers, applied in the region of Sardinia, through the simulation of computer-based relational augmented reality (AR) applications. This case study, which is a unique regional attempt at promoting regional cultural heritage using AR technologies, is interesting because of its tourist offerings that today remain fragmented.

A folksonomy-based recommender system for personalized access to digital artworks

Museums have recognized the need for supporting visitors in fulfilling a personalized experience when visiting artwork collections, and they have started to adopt recommender systems as a way to meet this requirement. Content-based recommender systems analyze features of artworks previously rated by a visitor and build a visitor model or profile, in which preferences and interests are stored, based on those features. For example, the profile of a visitor might store the names of his or her favorite painters or painting techniques, extracted from short textual descriptions associated with artworks. The user profile is then matched against the attributes of new items in order to provide personalized suggestions. The Web 2.0 (r)evolution has changed the game for personalization from “elitist” Web 1.0, written by few and read by many, to Web content potentially generated by everyone ( user-generated content - UGC). One of the forms of UGC that has drawn most attention from the research community is folksonomy , a taxonomy generated by users who collaboratively annotate and categorize resources of interests with freely chosen keywords called tags. In this work, we investigate the problem of deciding whether folksonomies might be a valuable source of information about user interests in the context of recommending digital artworks. We present FIRSt ( F olksonomy-based I tem R ecommender sy St em), a content-based recommender system which integrates UGC through social tagging in a classic content-based model, letting users express their preferences for items by entering a numerical rating as well as by annotating items with free tags. Experiments show that the accuracy of recommendations increases when tags are exploited in the recommendation process to enrich user profiles, provided that tags are not used as a surrogate for the item descriptions, but in conjunction with them. FIRSt has been developed within the CHAT project “Cultural Heritage fruition & e-learning applications of new Advanced (multimodal) Technologies”, and it is the core of a bouquet of Web services designed for personalized museum tours.