Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Cultural Heritage and Virtual Reality: A Setup for Balzi Rossi Museum

Saverio Iacono
* ORCID logo ,
Matteo Scaramuzzino
,
Luca Martini
ORCID logo ,
Chiara Panelli
ORCID logo ,
Daniele Zolezzi
ORCID logo ,
Massimo Perotti
,
Antonella Traverso
,
Gianni Vercelli
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 25 March 2024 / Approved: 26 March 2024 / Online: 26 March 2024 (07:27:47 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Iacono, S.; Scaramuzzino, M.; Martini, L.; Panelli, C.; Zolezzi, D.; Perotti, M.; Traverso, A.; Vercelli, G.V. Virtual Reality in Cultural Heritage: A Setup for Balzi Rossi Museum. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 3562. Iacono, S.; Scaramuzzino, M.; Martini, L.; Panelli, C.; Zolezzi, D.; Perotti, M.; Traverso, A.; Vercelli, G.V. Virtual Reality in Cultural Heritage: A Setup for Balzi Rossi Museum. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 3562.

Abstract

This research presents the creation of a Virtual Reality experience for the Balzi Rossi museum, commemorating the centenary of Prince Albert I Grimaldi's archaeological work at the site. The project, a collaboration between the University of Genoa's 3D Lab Factory, Eurodrone, and the Balzi Rossi archaeological museum, aims to preserve and convey the site's heritage through advanced VR technology. Initially employing Unreal Engine 4, the team used photogrammetry for 3D reconstruction of the "Caviglione" and "Florestano" caves, notable for their ancient rock engravings. This first VR model, despite hardware limitations, provided an interactive exploration of the site. The subsequent development phase utilized Unreal Engine 5, incorporating Nanite technology for enhanced visual fidelity. This advancement resulted in a more detailed and immersive VR experience, presenting the Balzi Rossi cliff across different historical periods, including the Würm glaciation. Key to this phase was optimizing the VR experience for performance, focusing on stable frame rates and minimizing motion sickness, and integrating a multi-lingual interface for broader accessibility. Since November 2023, the VR setup at the Balzi Rossi Museum has been an educational and interactive feature, enabling visitors to explore the site's history virtually. This research demonstrates the potential of VR in cultural heritage preservation and education, providing a foundation for future technological improvements in the field.

Keywords

Virtual reality; Cultural Heritage; 3D Reconstruction

Subject

Computer Science and Mathematics, Computer Vision and Graphics

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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