DiscoVRCoolTour: Discovering, Capturing and Experiencing Cultural Heritage and Events Using Innovative 3D Digitisation Technologies and Affordable Consumer Electronics

Recent years have seen the growing digitisation of cultural heritage, leveraged by innovative information technologies (imaging technologies, multimedia, virtual reality etc.). Advanced digitisation technologies have been instrumental in transforming conservation and scientific research methods regarding cultural heritage, as well as people's experience of cultural heritage relics, monuments and events, thus paving the way for novel consumer services. The present paper revolves around the use of advanced 2D/3D digital scanning of large scale objects and surroundings and the valorisation of the digital spatial models produced, in order to advance preservation efforts, to enhance scientific research work and to create unique, immersive cultural experiences, using affordable consumer electronics. With regards to the latter, the proposed DiscoVRCoolTour prototype specifically targets the production, marketing and consumption of cultural tourism. Digitisation technologies are already in use in the context of cultural tourism (e.g. in museums and monuments). However, limited research and solutions can be found with respect to the interaction between cultural heritage, scan/photo and immersive technologies, potential customers' and visitors' experiences in the cultural tourism locations, events and attractions. Physical as well as virtual customer services based on digitisation technologies for cultural tourism attractions, locations and entire destinations are still not exploited properly. Overall, a manifold of applications and services can be generated from the adoption and adaptation of relevant 2D/3D digital scanning technologies already applied in other sectors (e.g. construction industry). In this context, the paper first presents relevant digital technologies for digital data acquisition of large scale objects and surroundings and discusses critical aspects of the proposed solution, namely with regards to digital imaging, scan/photographing methods, virtual reality experience, secure metadata storage, etc. Subsequently, the applications and expected benefits of the DiscoVRCoolTour prototype for cultural heritage conservation and valorisation are discussed, including new emerging forms of cooperation and novel "technology-induced" business models.