Virtual Research Environment for digital 3D reconstructions – Standards, thresholds and prospects

• Main Author: Piotr Kuroczynski
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indiana University Office of Scholarly Publishing 2017-12-01
• Series: Studies in Digital Heritage
• Subjects: Digital hypothetical 3D reconstruction; 3D modeling; data modeling; Linked Data; Virtual Research Environment
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/sdh/article/view/23330

 Since the 1990s the application of the digital 3D reconstruction and computer-based visualisation of cultural heritage increased. The virtual reconstruction and 3D visualisation revealed a new “glittering” research space for object-oriented disciplines such as archaeology, art history and architecture. Nevertheless the academics concerned with the uprising technology recognised early the lack of documentation standards in the 3D projects leading to the loss of information, findings and the fusion of knowledge behind the digital 3D representation. Based on the methodological fundamentals of the digital 3D reconstruction the potentials and challenges in the light of emerging Semantic Web and Web3D technologies will be introduced. The presentation subscribes a scientific methodology and a collaborative web-based research environment followed by crucial features for this kind of projects. As the groundwork a human- and machine-readable “language of objects” and the implementation of this semantic patterns for spatial research purposes on destroyed and/or never realised tangible cultural heritage will be discussed. Using examples from the practice the presentation explains the requirements of the Semantic Web (Linked Data), the role of controlled vocabularies, the architecture of the VRE and the impact of a customised integration of interactive 3D models within the WebGL technology. The presentation intends to showcase the state-of-the-art on the way to a digital research infrastructure. The focus lies on the introduction of scholarly approved and sustainable digital 3D reconstruction, complaint with recognised documentation standards and following the Linked Data requirements.