A few days ago, Euronews -
Futuris presented a documentary for the iMareCulture project I am working with
colleagues around Europe and not only. The sunken ruins of ancient cities, the
monuments of lost civilisations, may reappear before our eyes thanks to new
technologies of augmented reality. Two thousand years ago, a now-flooded
coastal area near Naples was a fashionable Roman resort, Baiae. Nowadays, you
have to dive to see the remains of the luxurious villas. And soon, to make your
diving experience even better, you could take your tablet along. The tablet,
safely carried in a waterproof case, picks up acoustic signals from underwater
beacons.
This helps two different AR apps
to precisely position itself on a map, guiding the diver to the most interesting
underwater sites, like a floor mosaic from a submerged Roman villa that would
otherwise be hidden from view by sand. The first app is based on acoustic
tracking while the second one on QR codes and in both cases the divers can
travel through the virtual city while exploring its submerged ruins. Beyond the
popularisation of historical heritage, the virtual reality technologies allowed
the researchers to develop a professional simulator that teaches proper
excavation techniques at an underwater archaeological site.
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