Underwater augmented reality for improving the diving experience in submerged archaeological sites

BRUNO, Fabio, Loris BARBIERI, Marino MANGERUGA, Marco COZZA, Antonio LAGUDI, Jan ČEJKA, Fotios LIAROKAPIS and Dimitrios SKARLATOS. Underwater augmented reality for improving the diving experience in submerged archaeological sites. Ocean Engineering. Elsevier Ltd., 2019, vol. 190, 15 October 2019, p. 1-10. ISSN 0029-8018. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2019.106487.

Basic information

• Original name: Underwater augmented reality for improving the diving experience in submerged archaeological sites
• Authors: BRUNO, Fabio (380 Italy, guarantor), Loris BARBIERI (380 Italy), Marino MANGERUGA (380 Italy), Marco COZZA (380 Italy), Antonio LAGUDI (380 Italy), Jan ČEJKA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Fotios LIAROKAPIS (300 Greece, belonging to the institution) and Dimitrios SKARLATOS (196 Cyprus).
• Edition: Ocean Engineering, Elsevier Ltd. 2019, 0029-8018.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 10201 Computer sciences, information science, bioinformatics
• Country of publisher: Netherlands
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 3.068
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14330/19:00110829
• Organization unit: Faculty of Informatics
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2019.106487
• UT WoS: 000495142800042
• Keywords in English: Underwater augmented reality; Underwater cultural heritage; Markerless and marker-based tracking; Underwater acoustic localization

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea has a vast maritime heritage which exploitation is made difficult because of the many limitations imposed by the submerged environment. Archaeological diving tours, in fact, suffer from the impossibility to provide underwater an exhaustive explanation of the submerged remains. Furthermore, low visibility conditions, due to water turbidity and biological colonization, sometimes make very confusing for tourists to find their way around in the underwater archaeological site. To this end, the paper investigates the feasibility and potentials of the underwater Augmented Reality (UWAR) technologies developed in the iMARECulture project for improving the experience of the divers that visit the Underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae (Naples). In particular, the paper presents two UWAR technologies that adopt hybrid tracking techniques to perform an augmented visualization of the actual conditions and of a hypothetical 3D reconstruction of the archaeological remains as appeared in the past. The first one integrates a marker-based tracking with inertial sensors, while the second one adopts a markerless approach that integrates acoustic localization and visual-inertial odometry. The experimentations show that the proposed UWAR technologies could contribute to have a better comprehension of the underwater site and its archaeological remains.

Links

• 727153, interní kód MU: Name: Advanced VR, iMmersive serious games and augmented reality as tools to raise awareness and access to European underwater Cultural heritage (Acronym: iMARECULTURE)

Investor: European Union, Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective Societies (Societal Challenges)