Within the 29th CHNT conference in Vienna, running from 4-6 November 2024, the 5Dculture team invited the conference participants to try out and experience their applications at their booth as well as learn more about how advanced 3D technologies developed within 5Dculture are revolutionizing education, preservation, and public engagement with cultural heritage.
Session Highlights and Project Achievements
Valentine Charles (Europeana Foundation):
Kicking off the session, Charles presented the success of the Twin It! campaign, which mobilized all 27 EU member states to digitize and contribute 3D cultural artifacts to the European Data Space for Cultural Heritage. This initiative enhanced the accessibility of heritage content for research, education, and public interaction. Milestones included:
- A virtual exhibition that attracted over 14,000 visitors.
- Downloaded 3D models exceeding 50,000 instances for creative reuse.
The campaign also emphasized capacity-building through workshops and technical guidelines to standardize and elevate 3D digitization across Europe.
Marco Rendina (European Fashion Heritage Association):
Rendina unveiled the process and experiences of creating a Virtual Fitting Room, which allowed museum visitors to “try on” historic garments through augmented reality. Using 3D models of iconic fashion pieces, the app provided an engaging, immersive experience for audiences of all ages. This pilot, deployed in Centraal Museum Utrecht, achieved:
- Over 100 visitor reviews with a 90% positive rating.
- Engagement with younger audiences while simplifying curation for museum professionals.
Siepke van Keulen (Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision):
Van Keulen shared the Social VR Museum Experience, which utilized 3D assets to create an interactive storytelling platform. This cutting-edge initiative merged fashion, archives, and VR technology, enabling virtual social interactions around historic artifacts. The experience emphasized sustainability and accessibility, presenting fragile or inaccessible items like arsenic-laden garments safely in a virtual space.
Anthony Corns (Discovery Programme, Ireland):
Corns demonstrated how 3D digitization was reimagined at Newgrange and other Irish UNESCO sites. Using updated technologies, his team improved the quality of existing models and explored new applications, including:
- Tactile 3D models for visually impaired audiences.
- Hyper-realistic textures that enhanced public engagement.
- Creative sector collaborations, from chocolate molds to architectural reconstructions.
Marco Medici (University of Ferrara/Inception S.r.l, Italy):
Medici presented tools for integrating metadata-rich 3D models into the Semantic Web, emphasizing data interoperability and enriched user experiences. This Inception Core Engine showcased:
- Multi-dimensional visualization of cultural sites.
- Applications in immersive environments and research tools to transform 3D models into comprehensive knowledge resources.
Alberto Sanchez (University of Jaén, Spain):
Sanchez highlighted the power of 3D technology in education, focusing on Iberian archaeological heritage. Through workshops and museum programs, his team reached diverse audiences, including children, women in STEM, and individuals with impairments. Highlights included:
- Large-scale 3D prints for tactile learning.
- Augmented reality experiences that allowed students to visualize Iberian rituals and architecture.
- A new inclusive museum exhibit with adaptive explanations and multi-sensory components.
Elisa Farella (Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Italy):
Farella’s presentation during the “Heritage Reloaded” panel highlighted cutting-edge AI and AR tools developed in the 5Dculture project to enhance historical source usability. Key innovations include:
- VVD Story: An AI-driven tool for historical photo enhancement, featuring grayscale colorization and 3D effects creation.
- History Lens: An AR application for overlaying historical photos in real-world contexts using immersive scanning technologies.
- Urban Rewind: A tool for 3D city modeling derived from historical maps via advanced AI techniques like deep learning and predictive modeling, enabling historical urban reconstructions.
These tools offer novel ways to visualize and interact with cultural heritage, enriching public engagement and research.
Sander Münster (Time Machine Organisation):
Münster explored 4D models of historical cityscapes, blending 3D reconstructions with chronological layers to enable users to visualize urban evolution over time. By combining these models with collaborative digital platforms, his team created tools for co-creation and exploration of historical narratives.
Matevž Straus (Arctur, Slovenia):
Straus presented an innovative approach to cultural tourism by creating cost-effective, engaging tools for smaller destinations. Using Idria, Slovenia, as a case study, his team repurposed existing 3D models of heritage elements like the Rotary Kiln and Water Wheel into an interactive experience.
They developed “micro storytelling” through digital postcards featuring QR codes, leading to scrollable stories enriched with photos, videos, and holographic effects via a low-cost plastic pyramid. This innovative fusion of physical and digital elements effectively reimagined cultural storytelling for tourism, accessible even to smaller budgets.
Key Takeaways
This session hosted by 5Dculture and showcasing the project`s activities and achievements demonstrated the transformative potential of 3D technologies in cultural heritage. By bridging the gap between physical artifacts and digital platforms, these initiatives are preserving history, inspiring creativity, and fostering inclusivity. The panel underscored the need for continued collaboration across disciplines to ensure the longevity and accessibility of cultural heritage in the digital age.
Visit the 5Dculture YouTube channel to learn more about specific activities and the final results of the projects: 5Dculture – YouTube
