Merging AR, VR and the BLK360 in a ground-breaking cultural heritage project

作者：蒂姆·杰维斯

A collective of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) visionaries, programmers and render artists are on a mission to create a digital replicate world to showcase the beauty and history of Central America, starting with the entire country of Guatemala.

The Unreality Journeys team and G2 Foundation are pushing the boundaries of High Definition Surveying (HDS), AR and VR technology in a not-for-profit cultural heritage project.

在这个开创性的文化项目中，不现实的旅程捕捉了土著社区创造的古老结构及其对现代社会的影响。

Using VR and AR technologies in conjunction with 3D laser scanning and volumetric video, Unreality Journeys is on a mission to create an interactive digital environment that would allow users to walk, drive and fly around these mystic places. New Zealand-based innovators and project partners, G2 Foundation have donated several Leica BLK360 imaging scanners to Unreality Journeys to enable this project.

为了创建项目基础的高质量3D扫描，包括联合国教科文组织世界遗产的安提瓜遗址，玛雅遗址，400年历史的教堂和当地土著村庄，该团队依靠BLK360成像扫描仪。团队正在使用3D扫描将复杂的体系结构与图像融合在一起. The textured meshes serve as the base for the virtual reality platforms – meshed and textured elements could also be used in both AR and MR settings in the future.

推动数字城市的界限

Unreality Journeys has a vision – to use the Antigua, Guatemala project as a prototype for the世界上第一个完全记录和扫描的城市，可以在VR，AR和MR中探索所有吸引力和业务.

Unreality Journeys is pushing the boundaries of what a digital city and country can accomplish by using state-of-the-art wireless internet service providers (WISP) technology to create decentralised networks for local communities to share data with each other in a secure and private way.

“Our team’s main goal is to create digital country-history books in the highest quality possible and make them accessible to as many people as possible for free. We’re starting in Guatemala, then the rest of Central America and eventually more countries. We will focus on developing countries with a rich history that demands to be preserved but may not have the resources to do so, especially at a high level,”said Remy Malex, director of Unreality Journeys.

用BLK360加速事物

A project of this size and complexity requires a scanner that is fast, portable and easy to use. The project scope includes scanning of numerous historic interiors that require a high level of detail to be truly appreciated. Fitting in the palm of a hand with1-kilogram weight，BLK360已被证明足够大。BLK360工作流程使项目团队能够快速有效地收集和处理寄存器360，并回顾大量质量数据。

“ BLK360是一个梦想成真，我们决定获得几个单位，并将这个项目充分发挥作用.

“在获得BLK360之前，工作流程是基于摄影测量法。该工作流程涉及拍摄数千张照片以创建点云，然后变成网格，精制然后纹理。BLK360极大地改善了此工作流程，因为项目团队可以删除创建点云的巨大步骤，并具有生成更准确，更详细的网格的附加优势。由于初始数据更好，因此网格质量也得到了改善。BLK360在现场的效率大大提高，并产生了更好的产品，” said Malex.

With data captured from the world’s-smallest imaging laser scanner, the finished project will allow users to digitally experience the whole country. Online visitors will be able to virtually walk the black sand beaches of Guatemala’s south coast, explore the jungles of Petén, drive a riverboat down the mystical Río Dulce, fly to the Garifuna villages on the Caribbean coast, stroll the local artisan markets and discover the secrets of the Mayan pyramids.