Millions of people flock to ancient sites every year to feel the wonderment that comes with laying eyes on the ruins of a building or city from thousands of years ago. Viewing the ruins may be a spectacular experience for many, but it often leads people to wonder what that structure or city looked like back when it was a thriving hive of activity. Lithodomos VR, a new Melbourne-based virtual reality archaeological startup, is attempting to create a VR experience that will provide exactly that: a look at ancient cities, buildings, and artifacts as they were before eroding to ruins.
According to venturebeat.com, the company has raised $679,000 in order to create archaeologically accurate reconstructions of the ancient world in VR. These reconstructions are created using photogrammetry, texturing, and mesh modeling and stem from years of research and firsthand knowledge to create the most accurate and informative experience for the viewer.
Lithodomos VR claims to specialize in VR content for the Greek and Roman worlds. Its team is filled with individuals holding master’s degrees and PhDs in archaeology, cultural heritage management, and classical archaeology, as well as 3D artists and business professionals.
One of the projects currently available from Lithodomos VR is a reconstruction of the Arènes de Lutèce, in Paris, as it looked 2,000 years ago. Another project allows individuals to view Ancient Jerusalem as it was 2,000 years ago from four vantage points. In addition to full buildings and sites, the technology can also be used to 3D scan individual artifacts, such as a Greek coin, to give people an up-close look at something they otherwise may only be able to view behind glass at a museum.
The company believes its VR reconstructions will be useful to museums, government, education, and tour operators. The VR experiences can be viewed on the Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, and many other devices.
Click here to view demos of the virtual reconstructions.
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