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[Guest Editors' Introduction] Virtual Heritage: Breathing New Life into Our Ancient Past

April 2000
IEEE Multimedia 7(2):20-21

April 2000
7(2):20-21

DOI:10.1109/MMUL.2000.848420

Source
DBLP

Authors:

Scot Thrane Refsland

EdStart, Inc.

Alonzo C. Addison

University of California, Berkeley

Robert Stone

University of Birmingham

This special issue on virtual heritage features a survey on emerging trends in the field, articles on tools for building virtual heritage, applications of interpretive environments, and a look at what's next in virtual heritage. Full text available free from IEEE at: https://www.computer.org/csdl/mags/mu/2000/02/u2020.pdf For many of us in the technology industry, mentioning the words “virtual reality” usually conjures gaming, entertainment, or scientific visualization applications. Yet recently, one new industry has emerged that uses all these applications together—virtual heritage. Virtual heritage has become increasingly important in the conservation, preservation, and interpretation of our cultural and natural history. Many of the world’s treasures are in danger of being lost or destroyed, causing irreparable dam- age to human understanding and extinction of our natural wonders. Technology is now establishing new ways to explore complex problems and pro- vide solid pathways to real solutions. To a greater degree, technology is solving one of the largest problematic issues concerning cultural heritage assets—nondestructive public access. Never before has there been greater opportunities to discover and explore in great detail these marvels of earth and of humankind, without the fear of irreparable damage. For the first time we can not only look more wholly into the past, we can interact with it, discovering its hidden treasures. Yet all this newfound richness and depth in cultural interpretation has its price, both legally and morally. How far does artistic interpretation go before it impedes on historical accuracy and convinces a young virtual visitor that history was something that it’s actually not? How do coun- tries and governments deal with the virtual tourism? Does virtual heritage dissuade people from visiting the actual site?

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or many of us in the technology indus-

try, mentioning the words “virtual

reality” usually conjures gaming, enter-

tainment, or scientific visualization

applications. Yet recently, one new industry has

emerged that uses all these applications togeth-

er—virtual heritage.

Virtual heritage has become increasingly

important in the conservation, preservation, and

interpretation of our cultural and natural history.

Many of the world’s treasures are in danger of

being lost or destroyed, causing irreparable dam-

age to human understanding and extinction of our

natural wonders. Technology is now establishing

new ways to explore complex problems and pro-

vide solid pathways to real solutions. To a greater

degree, technology is solving one of the largest

problematic issues concerning cultural heritage

assets—nondestructive public access. Never before

has there been greater opportunities to discover

and explore in great detail these marvels of earth

and of humankind, without the fear of irreparable

damage. For the first time we can not only look

more wholly into the past, we can interact with it,

discovering its hidden treasures.

Yet all this newfound richness and depth in

cultural interpretation has its price, both legally

and morally. How far does artistic interpretation

go before it impedes on historical accuracy and

convinces a young virtual visitor that history was

something that it’s actually not? How do coun-

tries and governments deal with the virtual

tourism? Does virtual heritage dissuade people

from visiting the actual site?

The majority of virtual heritage researchers

believe that their work encourages people to actu-

ally go see the real site, giving the visitor extra

knowledge to enhance the real site visit. This debate

is still in its infancy, and before it is through, there

will be much discourse as to the proper use of vir-

tual heritage. Nonetheless, equipment technologies,

applications, and uses are appearing everywhere—

accessible not only to highly funded institutions,

but to smaller organizations and countries. This

breathes new life into the ancient past, calling us to

the challenge of imparting human wisdoms and

follies to future generations through cultural preser-

vation and interpretation.

The articles included in this special issue on

virtual heritage are revised manuscripts from the

Guest Editors’ Introduction

Virtual Heritage Network

In January 2000, The International Society on

Virtual Systems and MultiMedia (http://www

.vsmm.org) launched the Virtual Heritage

Network (VHN). VHN is an international organi-

zation promoting the use of technology for the

education, interpretation, and preservation of

cultural and natural heritage. Both a physical and

electronic network, VHN has more than 250 pro-

fessionals from 45 countries currently working in

the virtual heritage community. VHN sponsors

conferences and maintains an active Web site,

which offers industry information about events,

projects, employment, and news, plus an online

digital library.

Currently, VHN is hosting the third special ses-

sion on virtual heritage during VSMM 2000,

4-6 October 2000 in Gifu, Japan. VHN will also

publish a full-color book on virtual heritage sites

and applications. Membership in VHN and the

use of its services are free. Visit http://www

.virtualheritage.net for more information about

VHN.

Virtual Heritage:

Breathing New

Life into Our

Ancient Past

Scot Thrane Refsland

International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia,

Japan

Takeo Ojika

Gifu University, Japan

Alonzo C. Addison

University of California, Berkeley

Robert Stone

Virtual Presence, UK

proceedings of two special sessions on virtual

world heritage, held during the 4th and 5th

International Conference on Virtual Systems and

MultiMedia (VSMM) in 1998 (Gifu, Japan) and

1999 (Dundee, Scotland).

We invite you to take a journey through many

excellent examples of current virtual heritage

research, from its tools, methodologies, and appli-

cations to its newly formed community and

industry. MM

Scot Thrane Refsland is a co-

founder of the Virtual Heritage

Network, an executive officer of

the International Society of Virtual

Systems and MultiMedia, and

Director of the West Virginia

Governor’s Office of Technology in Japan. His main

research interests include complexity in emergent vir-

tual heritage worlds. He received a BA in English litera-

ture with an emphasis in creative writing from the

University of Southern California in 1987. He is cur-

rently completing his Phd in virtual systems and soft-

ware engineering at Gifu University’s Virtual System

Laboratory in Gifu, Japan. He can be contacted at

thrane@vsmm.org.

Takeo Ojika is a professor of elec-

tronics and computer engineering,

Gifu University, Japan; Executive

Director of the Virtual System Lab-

oratory (VSL), and Vice President of

the International Society of Virtual

Systems and MultiMedia (VSMM). He received his BE

degree in electrical engineering from Waseda University

in 1962, and an ME and PhD from Kyoto University in

1969 and 1975, respectively. He earned a second PhD in

mathematics from Kyoto University in 1982. He is the

founder of the VSMM Society and co-founder of the Vir-

tual Heritage Network (VHN). He can be contacted at

ojika@ojk.info.gifu-u.ac.jp.

Alonzo C. Addison serves as

Director of the Center for Design

Visualization, University of Cali-

fornia, Berkeley. A co-founder of

the Virtual Heritage Network, his

work ranges from historical visual-

ization to design simulation, information architecture,

and collaborative networks. From planning a real-time,

visual command center for the Canadian rail network in

the 1980s and developing strategy for Cyra Technolo-

gies’ and its 3D “monument-scale” lidar scanner in the

1990s he is interested in the nexus of digital technolo-

gy, world heritage, and design. Currently completing a

doctorate in design theory from Berkeley, he also holds

an MA in architecture from the university and a BSE

cum laude in civil engineering from Princeton Univer-

sity. He can be contacted at addison5@socrates

.berkeley.edu.

Robert Stone is Scientiﬁc Director

of Muse Technologies (Albu-

querque, New Mexico), based at

Virtual Presence Limited, Man-

chester, UK. He graduated from

University College London in

1979 with a BS in psychology and in 1981 with an MS

in ergonomics. He has been involved with the interna-

tional VR community for 13 years and holds visiting

professorships in VR at the universities of Manchester

and Plymouth. He is an academician of the Interna-

tional Higher Education Academy of Sciences in

Moscow, President of the VSMM society, and co-founder

of the Virtual Heritage Network. In 1999, he was award-

ed the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Art, Com-

merce, and Manufacture’s Howorth Medal for excellence

and innovation in the ﬁeld of VR. He can be contacted

at r.stone@vrsolns.co.uk.

April–June 2000

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