What is it about?

Augmented and virtual reality can help make a normal space seem different. Whether it allows us to fit more things into a small space, adds information points to explain what's there in more detail, or even completely changes how the space looks, the possibilities for enhancing the real world are huge. This project sought to recreate an old Roman town in the very space where it sat hundreds of years ago. Using artefacts found on site, knowledge of local Roman communities, and incredible augmented reality technology, we made it possible to walk through what seems at first glance to be an empty field, and see a thriving community once again living in and moving around the space. Specifically, we explain how this kind of project can help people to engage with history in a real, tangible way, and grow their appreciation for the environment around them.

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Why is it important?

This project offers an opportunity to connect people and environment beyond the limits of time and space. Augmented reality and movement tracking come together to remake an empty field in Norfolk, UK, into a bustling hive of people, artefacts, languages, sounds, and chickens. Exploring how this experience can affect every day people, from archaeologists to dog walkers, gives important insight into how space and place can be enhanced in ways that improve historic awareness, environmental compassion, and even mental and physical wellbeing.

Perspectives

This project was a really exciting opportunity to explore how augmented reality can change perceptions of place. Not only was it exciting to see people walking around the site and learning about its history, but it was also really cool to talk to people afterwards and see their excitement about the history of the site. Working collaboratively with researchers like Dr Brundell was also really fun, as I was a first year PhD student at the time and it got me hyped to use technologies in space -- something that I have carried with me in my research ever since. I hope that we have been able to capture some of that feeling and share it with you, and that you also find joy in using technologies in different ways and different places.

Harriet Cameron
University of Nottingham

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Rome is Where the Heart is: Designing Immersive Experiences to Augment and Build Personal Connections to Outdoor Environments, November 2022, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3569219.3569362.
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