Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ===== Walking Around the Globe - a VR Picture Expedition ===== Watch our Video: {{:project:intro.mp4|}} With our Hackathon prototype for a virtual 3D exhibition in VR we tackle several challenges. • The challenge of exhibition space: many collections, especially small ones – like the Collection of Astronomical Instruments of ETH Zurich – have only a small or no physical space at all to exhibit their objects to the public • The challenge of exhibiting light-sensitive artworks: some artworks – especially art on paper – are very sensitive to the light and are in danger of serious damaged when they are permanently exposed. That’s why the Graphische Sammlung ETH Zurich can’t present their treasures in a permanent exhibition to the public • The challenge of involving the public: nowadays the visitors do not want to be reduced to be passive consumers, they want and appreciate active involvement • The challenge of the scale: in usual 2D digital presentations the user does not get information about the real scale of the artworks and gets wrong ideas about the dimensions • The challenge of showing 3D objects in the digital space: many museum databases show only one or two digital images of their 3D objects, so the user gets only a very limited impression Our Hackathon prototype for a virtual 3D exhibition in VR • offers unlimited exhibition space in the virtual reality • makes it possible to exhibit light sensitive artworks permanently using their digital reproductions • involves the public inviting them to slip into the role of the curator • shows the artwork in the correct scale • and gives the users the opportunity to walk around the 3D objects in the virtual space A representative screenshot: {{:project:globe.jpg?nolink&800|}} We unveil a window into a future where you can create, curate and experience virtual 3D expositions in VR. We showcase a first exposition with a 3D-Model of a globe like in the Collection of Astronomical Instruments of ETH Zurich as a centerpiece and works of art from the Graphische Sammlung ETH Zurich surrounding it. Users can experience our curated exposition using a state-of-the-Art VR headset, the HTC Vive. Our vision has massive value for practitioners, educators and students and also opens up the experience of curation to a broader audience. It enables art to truly transcend borders, cultures and economic boundaries. ==== Project Presentation === You can download the presentation slides: {{:project:20181028_glamhack_presentation.pdf|}}. ==== Project Impressions ==== On the very first day, we create our data model on paper by ensuring everybody got a chance to present their use cases, stories and needs. {{ :project:er_v1.jpg?direct&400 |}} On Friday evening, we had a first prototype of our VR Environment: {{ :project:screen_pres2.jpg?direct |}} On Saturday, we created our interim presentation, improved our prototype, curated our exposition, and tried and ditched many ideas. Saturday evening saw our prototype almost finished! Below a screenshot of two rooms, one curated by experts and the other one containing artificially generated art. {{ :project:styleroom1.jpg?direct&800 |}} {{ :project:curated_room.jpg?direct&800 |}} Our final project status involves a polished prototype with an example exhibition consisting of two rooms: Walking Around The Globe: A room curated by art experts, exhibiting a selection of old masterpieces (15th century to today). {{:project:globe.jpg?nolink&800|}} Style transfer: A room designed by laymen showing famous paintings & derivates generated by an //artificial intelligence (AI)// via a technique called style transfer. {{:project:biglisa.jpg?nolink&800|}} In the end we even created a mockup of the possible backend ui, the following images are some impressions for it: {{:project:bui-entry.jpg?nolink&300|}} {{:project:bui-room.jpg?nolink&300|}} {{:project:bui-exhib.jpg?nolink&300|}} ==== Technical Information ==== Our code is on Github, both the [[https://github.com/dbisUnibas/virtual-exhibition-presenter|Frontend]] and the [[https://github.com/dbisUnibas/virtual-exhibition-manager|Backend]]. We are using [[https://unity3d.com|Unity]] with the [[https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/integration/steamvr-plugin-32647|SteamVR Plugin]] to deploy on the [[https://www.vive.com/eu/|HTC Vive]]. This combination means we had to use combinations of C# Scripting (We recommend the excellent [[https://www.jetbrains.com/rider/ | Rider Editor]]), design using the Unity Editor, custom modifications to the SteamVR plugin, do 3d model imports using FastObjImporter and other fun stuff. Our backend is written in [[http://openjdk.java.net|Java]] and uses [[https://www.mongodb.com|MongoDB]]. For the style transfer images, we used a open source python code which is available on [[https://github.com/anishathalye/neural-style|Github]]. ==== Acknowledgments ==== The [[https://dbis.dmi.unibas.ch|Databases and Information Systems Group]] at the University of Basel is the home of a majority of our project members. Our hardware was borrowed for the weekend from the [[https://gravis.dmi.unibas.ch|Gravis Group]] from Prof. Vetter. ===== Data ===== * Dataset with digital images (jpg) and metadata (xml) from the Collection of Astronomical Instruments of ETH Zurich * Graphische Sammlung ETH Zurich, Collection Online, four sample datasets with focus on bodies in the air, portraits, an artist (Rembrandt) and different techniques (printmaking and drawing) ===== Team ===== * Ivan Giangreco, Postdoc @ [[https://dbis.dmi.unibas.ch|Databases and Information Systems Group]] * Ralph Gasser, PhD Student @ [[https://dbis.dmi.unibas.ch|Databases and Information Systems Group]] * Mahnaz Amiri Parian, PhD Student @ [[https://dbis.dmi.unibas.ch|Databases and Information Systems Group]] * Silvan Heller, PhD Student @ [[https://dbis.dmi.unibas.ch|Databases and Information Systems Group]] * Loris Sauter, MsC Student @ [[https://dmi.unibas.ch/de/forschung/informatik/|Computer Science Uni Basel]] * Ann-Kathrin Seyffer @ [[https://gs.ethz.ch/en/ | Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich ]] * Susanne Pollack @ [[https://gs.ethz.ch/en/ | Graphische Sammlung ETH Zürich ]] * Agnese Quadri @ [[https://www.library.ethz.ch/en/ | ETH Library]] * Donatella Gavrilovich @ [[http://dip.studiletterari.uniroma2.it/ | University of Rome "Tor Vergata"]] {{tag>status:concept needs:dev needs:design needs:data needs:expert glam}} project/virtual_3d_exhibition.txt Last modified: 2019/05/08 17:15by silvanheller