Spatial Heritage Review Issue #12, October 2024
This month: gaussian splat storytelling, Shackleton's Endurance in 3D, AR portals, an extinct woodpecker, + much more!
Hello!
While a little quieter than recent months, October had it’s fair share of impressive spatial heritage stories. Scroll on down for the highlights, click through for more.
I, too, got up to a few things in October:
I took part in the online event “From Digitalization to Global Interaction with Cultural Heritage” hosted by Heritage Management Organization in partnership with the Kharkiv School of Architecture and Skeiron , and supported by the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy to Ukraine. Video |more info | my slides (inc. speaker notes).
I’ve been keeping an eye on the changes underway over at sketchfab.com. Understandably there’s a lot of concern from the heritage community. I’ve been working on setting up a call between the IIIF 3D Community Group and Epic Games, more on that next month.
I spent a lot of time developing and promoting my “"Introduction to 3D for Cultural Heritage Professionals & Volunteers” event supported by UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Again, more on that next month :)
I was really chuffed to see my open access Lewis Chess set 3D models become part of a “physical rehabilitation system in mixed reality (MR), aimed at patients suffering from balance and coordination disorders” link
Finally, I want to give you a heads up that I’ll be updating the format of the newsletter a little next month. Hopefully nothing too drastic but I want to rebalance my time management more effectively against other work.
The Spatial Heritage Review subscriber list is now 1.2k now strong (1,221 to be exact), which is about 100 new subs per issue!💫
Wow, that’s a long intro 😅 I’ll let you get on with this month’s recap now!
Until next month,
Tom
Immersive Exhibitions, Interactive Tours, Online Experiences
While the Pergamon Museum continues to be closed for renovations, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Studio Blank, and Pixelcloud have published ‘Babylon Reloaded’ a 3D tour of the permanent Museum of the Ancient Near East exhibition.
Digitisation & Spatial Initiatives and Projects
The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust has digitised the sunken Antarctic exploration vessel Endurance which sank in 1915 during an expedition lead by Earnest Shackleton more info via BBC | Telegraph
VR / MR
“An immersive 3D Gaussian Splatting experience with physical interaction Hôtel de la Marine in Paris” via Jérémie Le Garrec
AR / XR
“Studio: Door Portal project demo” (Niantic 8th Wall) link via Ian Curtis
Software, Hardware, & Technology
“What began as a quick proof of concept is now evolving into a dynamic educational platform—StorySplat!” link | info | demos via Michael Rubloff and Dan Pacheco
3D printing, CNC, & Physical Reproductions
“How a plastic cave made in Spain keeps Amazonian culture alive 5,000 miles away” link via People's Palace Projects also via Factum Foundation
Interactive & Games
“SHOGUN'S Castle - Osaka Castle” link via moz
Articles, Publications, Presentations, Courses, Jobs
“What audiences want from immersive experiences” link via The Space
“How to Create Digital Twins of Historical Sites: Alcántara Bridge in Toledo, Spain” video link via DJI
“3D Research Challenges in Cultural Heritage V: Paradata, Metadata and Data in Digitisation” link via Marinos Ionnades
Events
Added to the events directory this month:
4-6 November 2024, AT
5Dculture @ CHNT29 | more info
12-14 November 2024, Online
IIIF 2024 Online Meeting | more info
30 November 2024, FR
[FR] Day dedicated to immersive realities in education | more info
2 December 2024, UK
Seeing the Unseen in Oxford University Collections | more info
3 December 2024, FR
[FR] Metaverse of museums, 3D virtual museums. What are the challenges? What are the uses? | more info
28 - 29 January 2025, UK
Remix Summit London 2025 | more info
30-31 January 2025, IT
H-BI(M)ON - Heritage – Building Information Modeling/MONitoring – From Reality to Model and back | more info
31 March - 01 April 2025, BE
Global Multistakeholder High Level Conference on Governance for Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds | more info
7-11 April 2025, UK
3D Imaging and Modelling for Cultural Heritage Summer School | more info
2-5 June 2025, UK
IIIF Conference at the University of Leeds
Surveys
“Volumetric Media Survey” link via Metaverse Standards Forum
“Museum 3D Imaging Practices Survey” link via MFA Boston / Helen He
“Calling all 3D-based researchers! We'd like your feedback on how to improve the publication and evaluation of 3D projects.” link via PURE3D
“Help us to map European data infrastructures for 3D cultural heritage” link info via Europeana
Meemoo Flemish Institute for Archives 3D Scans & Objects Survey link
“Museums in the Metaverse needs your help to understand how audiences might use virtual museums.” survey via Museums in the Metaverse
Miscellaneous 3D
Gaussian Splats & NeRFs
“Digital Preservation with Gaussian Splatting” 3D via Svein Juvastol Loken
Meshes & Point Clouds
“New model release of a 3D extinct Imperial woodpecker” 3D via DigitalLife3D
Reconstructions, 3D Illustrations, and Renders
“Mota Castle in Unreal Engine” via Lorena Fernández Benítez