myEleusis.VM - Virtual Reality Technology in museums
Virtual Reality (VR) is a simulated experience, created via computers and technological means, in which users may immerse themselves and perform actions that were previously impossible. Virtual Reality technologies are applied in several fields, offering a range of possibilities (e.g. secure realistic simulations of interactive environments, etc.). One of the areas that have benefited significantly from VR technologies is the field of Archeology and Cultural Heritage through the application of VR in the form of Virtual Museums.
Virtual Museums, much like physical museums, host collections and exhibitions, tell stories and present thematic units that fall under the field of cultural heritage. Thus, they play an important part in institutions responsible for education and dissemination of culture. A physical museum achieves its goals by presenting exhibits and relevant information, employing museological strategies and techniques. In the case of Virtual Museums, the exhibits are synthetic, i.e. virtual. In most cases, they consist of multimedia material or digitized 3D objects that represent the form of physical exhibits. The modern technological means, which equip a Virtual Museum, provide additional possibilities and information to the visitors, who may now study in detail the cultural heritage reserve, without necessarily coming in physical contact with the exhibits. Using modern immersive technologies, museums import new dimensions to the display of their exhibits, therefore enhancing the experience of their visitors.
myEleusis.VM is a Virtual Museum of dynamic content that is developed within myEleusis, through virtual reality technologies. This application will allow the exhibits of the Archaeological Museum of Eleusis to travel the world digitally, in a fun and pleasant way, aiming to attract new visitors - potentially from the most remote places. In addition, new foundations are laid in the field of virtual museums, through the realistic environment, the subsystem operation, the enabled navigation within the museum space, the way of providing information, the aesthetics and the overall user experience.