Page 170 - AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report

170baths, showing each of the rooms identi ed by their original Latin names. This helps both the visitors and the accompanying archaeologists interpret and disseminate the site.2.4. Wearables: VR and AR smartglassesThe past few years have seen a decisive increase in the use of devices known as wearables, which can be distinguished from portable handheld de- vices (smartphones and tablets) in that they are worn on some part of our body. The best known kinds are smart wristbands, smartwatches and virtual/augmented reality glasses.Of these wearables, smartglasses have been used most widely in the heritage eld in recent years, as they are gradually beginning to share the scene with smartphones and tablets, as shown by commercial models such as Samsung Gear VR, Microsoft’s HoloLens and Google Glass, among others. The interest they have arousedin the eld of heritage is partly due to the implementation of virtual reality and augmented reality. Using these smartglasses, it is possible to explore, observe and examine a particular virtual environment and even interact with it as if it were a real physical space. These experiences based on virtual techniques allow for an intuitive, unconscious, almost childlike rst-hand approach – our most natural way of learning – and demon- strate their entertainment and rational potential.The importance of this aspect is borne out by the growth and interest in virtual applications o ering truly cutting-edge experiences – some particularly futuristic, such as that of the Italian nancial company Filas212 – which re ect their major possibilities for interpreting cultural heritage in the near future.Tarraco projectImageen Reliving History213 is a Spanish company that has created one of the most impressiveapps for mobile devices (smartphones ortablets) and, more recently, for virtual reality headsets (Samsung GEAR VR). The app provides a 360-degree reconstruction of archaeological sites with several pioneering projects to recover aspects of Roman culture in the cities of Tarraco (present-day Tarragona) and Cambrils (Tarragona province) or to learn about the past of medieval towns such as L’Espluga de Francolí (Tarragona province).The Tarraco project is notable for the impor- tance of the enclaves of the ancient Roman city of Tarraco, designated a World Heritage Site in 2000, such as the circus, forum, amphitheatre and cult area with the temple of Augustus. Each of these places appears in the app,214 which allows users to access various types of content such as 360-degree views, a video contrasting the Roman city with its current appearanceand another video with a scrolling display that compares the current appearance with the virtual reconstruction, accompanied by a rec- reation featuring real actors who play the part of people from the period engaged in activities characteristic of each place: for example, in the amphitheatre we can watch a gladiator ght in the ancient construction restored to its former splendour [online resource - video].215The app also includes a location map that can be connected to Google Maps and is available in several languages, including Spanish, Catalan, English and French.Figure 18 - 360-degree view of the Roman amphitheatre of Tarraco with the scrolling display. Screenshot. Source: app Imageen2. DISSEMINATION, ENHANCEMENT AND EDUCATIONThe use of digital technologies in the conservation, analysis and dissemination of cultural heritage