Mobile Cultural Heritage: The Case Study of Locri

Giuseppe Cutr 1 , Giuseppe Naccarato2, and Eleonora Pantano3

University of Turin, 10124, Turin, Italy giuseppe.cutri@unito.it University of Calabria, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy naccaratogiuseppe@gmail.com University of Calabria, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy eleonora.pantano@unical.it
1

Abstract. The goal of this project is to study the use of mobile technologies equipped with global positioning systems as an information aid for archaeological visits. In this study we will focus in the study of the technologies used to implement these systems. To this end we analyze an archaeological site where this systems have been tested. In this experiment we have applied state of the art technologies in virtual and augmented reality to implement a system that allows users to access the site using their mobile devices. We conclude that the use of this kind of technologies is an eective tool to promote the archeo-geographical value of the site. Keywords: mobile device, mobile virtual navigation, digital reconstruction, GPS, cultural heritage.

Introduction

Advances in mobile technologies are enjoyed by an increasing percentage of the population. This is due mainly to lower prices and to the technologization of life and work style standards of the population [1]. Most of the current communication processes are based on the use of mobile devices. Some of the most used are tablet pc, pocket pc, smart-phone, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), and iPod. These technologies provide several web tools like, search engines, virtual communities and e-advertising among others. Adapting the power of these technologies to the eld of cultural heritage, allows the broadcast of local heritage to a worldwide level. Innovative uses of technology can stimulate curiosity and interest in users, satisfy their information needs and ultimately allow the creation of a digital heritage [2] [3]. These devices can guide users in virtual or real world spaces. Virtually reconstructed environments take advantage of information rich databases providing the users with historical, cultural, and geographical data. In these environments the user can better explore in an augmented reality space. This system empowers the user giving a knowledge rich environment that facilitates learning [4] [5] [6].
Z. Pan et al. (Eds.): Edutainment 2008, LNCS 5093, pp. 410420, 2008. c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008

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This type of systems can mix real and virtual worlds, allowing the combination of the geographical location with the exact historical or cultural information. An added tool that identies the geographical position [8] allows the system to have a combined view of a culturally interesting artefact with its virtual reconstruction (3D model). This 3D model represents its original shape. The user can also benet by using the user friendly interface of the device, to view other multimedia data related to the artefact, for example the reconstruction of the virtual reproduction of the original environment and the historical source [9]. The aim of this paper it to highlight the possibility to apply these technologies to regions such as Calabria, which is rich in cultural and archaeological resources not always exploited. In particular we study the system at the archaeological park of Locri and study how the tools we describe can improve and value the enjoyment of the place.

Mobile Virtual Navigation

New mobile devices are becoming more and more popular due to their low cost and their advantages in connection to new services and social interaction. These devices are not mere cell phones or organizers, but powerful computing devices [7]. In this study we have used a mobile implementation of a Virtual Navigation System (VNS). Current VNSs were developed as a desktop application to simulate visits for a wide range of environments, ranging from a reconstructed city to a museum. Today the high performance of mobile devices oers the possibility to combine the capabilities of a desktop Virtual Navigation System with the ones of a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Using a mobile device with GPS (often already integrated on most PDAs and cell phones) the VNS provides more exciting features such as allowing the user to have real and virtual information combined depending on its location. This system has been developed with the goal of oer a better experience while visiting archaeological sites.

System Architecture

The system we present is a program that enriches the exploration of open spaces with additional data. The system provides real time visualization, on a mobile device, of a 3D reconstruction of the environment. This environment also gives navigation capabilities using its GPS data system. To achieve this task we designed a new graphical engine for the mobile device. The system is built on top of a set of new graphic libraries developed in collaboration with the E-Guide S.R.L. which were called Q3 libraries. These C++ APIs (Application Program Interfaces) are divided in two parts: Q3Engine: is a 3D graphic engine; Q3Widgets: is a GUI library for rendering the GUI (Graphic User Interface).

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These two set of APIs are linked together by these other libraries: Q3Toolkit: is the glue between the 2D layer and the 3D layer and the OS (Operating System); Q3Lib: oers many platform independent functions as well as computational geometry functions used to manipulate meshes and other 3D and 2D objects; Q3GPS: receive and process GPS data. The API is built on top of OpenGL ES and OpenVG [10] libraries that are the standard de facto in mobile environments (Many CPU manufacturers support natively these libraries on their products). A converter allows the import of a COLLADA [11] le or a Google Earth le (Google Earth 4 les are compressed COLLADA les, with textures and other information) and save them as a compressed format specically designed for. The system processes GPS data to obtain the user position and move the virtual environment along with the users movements. It is also possible to connect a GPS with an integrated compass in order to know the users orientation. If the compass data is missing the user has the possibility to move the view using the joypad of the device. The meshes position is stored in xml format together with other information such as a text and multimedia contents so the user can click on any object of the world and read the description, watch images, and so on. Since most of todays mobile devices do not have FPU (Floating-Points Unit) the system hasnt the possibility to be compiled using xed-points and a special library for xed-point algebra was developed. The GUI has many graphical eects like shading, anti-aliasing and is planned to be used using a touch screen. The 3D engine can show any textured mesh and support multiple light eects.

The Case Study of Locri

We chosed to analyze the case study of Locri because of the rich archaeological heritage of the zone and because, at the moment, it hasnt been studied yet, using the latest technologies. Locri Epizeri is one of the most important Greek poleis of Calabria. Its archaeological park covers a big area: more than 568,34 acres. It spreads out along the coast and the mountains (Fig. 1 shows the ndings of famous Greek Theatre built the IV century b.C.)[12], [13]. To implement the systems for the archaeological site we followed several steps: Evaluation of ndings accessibility; Evaluation of most interesting routes inside the park; Access to useful information to reconstruct ancient artefacts.

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Fig. 1. An image from the archaeological site of Site

Fig. 2. The zone of Centocamere, in the archaeological site of Locri (image from Google Earth)

Inside the archaeological park of Locri, tourist can visit 3 zones: Centocamere (Fig. 2), Museum (Fig. 3), Theatre (Fig. 4). In these zones there are few routes that allow tourists to access the most interesting ndings. Archaeologists have excavated the ancient ruins especially in the zone of Centocamere, where the ruins of the ancient city centre are located. These are characterized by houses, and workshops where clay ceramics were manufactured and sold. For example, in Fig. 5 we show the map of the zone of Centocamere in the park, where we highlight the possible routes:

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Fig. 3. Museum zone, in the archaeological site of Locri (image from Google Earth)

Fig. 4. Theatre zone, in the archaeological site of Locri (image from Google Earth)

We investigated the required details to develop the virtual reconstructions of the ancient objects of the zone to test and validate the system. This test shows several routes that a tourist can visit (Fig. 6). The system gives the user also the opportunity to choose a xed route from the list of all possible ones. In fact, the user can visit the archaeological park with his personal mobile device and use it to choose his preferred route to visit the park. For example the user can choose a xed route or can invent his own choosing the most interesting ndings to see. The most important part of the visit is the route and it is a fundamental factor to exploit the territory. From a mathematical point of view, we can describe the

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Fig. 5. A map with the possible routes of zone of Centocamere in the archaeological park of Locri

Fig. 6. Mathematical representation of place of interest and connections among them

place by using a graph G, dened G=(V,E), where V is a set of vertices and represents the places of interest and E is the set of links and represent the possible connections among them (the communication channels) [14]. After the mathematical formalization of the routes, we can apply mathematical tools to nd the itinerary that maximizes the travel performance and a more personalized route [14]. It is possible to use technologies of virtual reality and computer graphics to use in terrains in an ecient way. These allow to reconstruct archaeological sites and environments which existed only in the past [15]. The traditional access to archaeological ruins required a mental eort from visitors because they had to reconstruct in their minds the ancient scenario. Using this system the virtual

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Fig. 7. Virtual reconstruction of the Centocamere zone

Fig. 8. An example of the user-friendly interface for language choice

reconstruction of objects and environment using graphics, audio/video reproduction allow users to live a more interesting and immersive experience [16] [18]. Virtual reconstructions and their related multimedia contents make visit more interesting and instructive (Fig. 7). 4.1 How the System Is Working

In may museums or archaeological sites, tourists can nd audio-guides which guide them along xed routes, or force them to use information points with a pc in which visitors can get access interactive information. In this paper we present

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Fig. 9. An example of the user friendly interface to choose the route

Fig. 10. Sto a in the zone of Centocamere

a dierent tool, because it is not stationary, it can be personalized by user, and it is based on the geographical position of the user. Mobile devices, and wireless communication systems, are combined with virtual and augmented reality to obtain a new tool which can be an electronic, personalized and mobile guide through archaeological sites [17]. We can summarize the use of this system in the following fundamental steps: STEP 1: User accesses to archaeological site and decides to rent the particular mobile device or to use his own (in this case he has to download on his device all the useful information, like maps, photos or other data);

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Fig. 11. Access to Sto a from mobile device

STEP 2. The user starts the application and chooses the language (Fig. 8) and route (a xed route from the list or personalize his own) (Fig. 9); STEP 3. The device becomes a tourist guide. It locates the geographical position of user (using a GPS system) in the park. When the user is close to a particular object (Fig. 10), the display shows a virtual reconstruction. The user can see the real object while comparing with the reconstruction in the mobile device(Fig. 11). The user can play the object (as a game) and he can choose to listen to historical data, or information about the structure or manufacturing process, read the text or visualize other multimedia information.

Conclusion

We illustrate how the archaeological park of Locri, and is big extension, can be enjoyed in a more eective and ecient way by using this new system. This system allows users to understand, learn and appreciate also parts that dont exist anymore, artefacts, which were destroyed by weather or man. The user can experience an immersive and more interesting experience, especially for that part of population which is less interested in the archaeological heritage but more sensitive to the use of new technologies [19]. A similar system could be applied to other archaeological sites with the same success.

Future Work

Next generation of mobile devices will have more powerful CPUs and many will have a GPU also, which means that there will be no problem rendering very

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complex meshes with a low frame rate. These new kind of devices will allow to render even more realistic scenes. But the future is not only based on new powerful hardware. AR (Augmented Reality) systems will play an important rule on the current scenario. Even today a lot of mobile phones and PDAs have a camera inside which already permits to embed real image data in order to overlap the 3D reconstruction on top of the reality. People can experience new HCI (Human Computer Interaction) that will permit a more interaction with the environment and many new exciting features. The next step will be the integration of maps and a multi-modal guidance engine which will permits the user to be guided throw a city using various transport services (bus, train, taxi, etc.). These technologies are currently under development in collaboration with the E-Guide S.R.L. Furthermore, the system we presented will be tested and evaluated through a quantitative analysis with consumers in the archaeological park of Locri.

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