Tag Archives: digital heritage

Virtual Heritage Article free to download until 21 April 2016

02/03/2016archaeology, Conference, digital heritage, Digital Humanities, game, heritage, virtual heritagedigital heritage, entertainment, Entertainment Computing, Ethics, serious games, virtual heritageEMC

Elsevier have kindly let me and others download the below article from the Journal Entertainment Computing, (Volume 14, May 2016, Pages 67–74) up until 21 April 2016. From 22 April it will be behind the Elsevier paywall again.

http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Se406gYiZRYG4
No sign up or registration is needed – just click and read!

Title: Entertaining The Similarities & Distinctions Between Serious Games & Virtual Heritage Projects

Abstract:
This article summarizes past definitions of entertainment, serious games and virtual heritage in order to discuss whether virtual heritage has particular problems not directly addressed by conventional serious games. For virtual heritage, typical game-style entertainment poses particular ethical problems, especially around the simulation of historic violence and the possible trivialization of culturally sensitive and significant material. While virtual heritage can be considered to share some features of serious games, there are significantly different emphases on objectives. Despite these distinctions, virtual heritage projects could still meet serious games-style objectives while entertaining participants.

Curtin Research Fellowships

27/05/2015Academic, Announcements, Digital Humanities, game, heritage, PostdocCurtin University, digital heritage, digital humanities, Research FellowshipEMC

For research fellows and other scholars who have a PhD awarded after 1 March 2010, please consider applying for a Curtin Research Fellowship (there are also indigenous and senior research fellowships for those with a PhD awarded before 1 March 2010):

http://research.curtin.edu.au/conducting-research/curtin-research-fellowships/

The internal expression of interest deadline is June 4 (the head of a school or centre has to support the application).
Please note this is a very competitive scheme.

I’m particularly interested in talking to researchers who focus on virtual heritage, digital archaeology, game design, VR evaluation, machinima, digital humanities, interaction design or similar subjects that could take place in the Humanities..

Ideas on how to adapt Kinect camera tracking for 3D presentations in archaeology

26/05/20153D and game editors, Academic, Biofeedback, Hand tracking, heritage, HIVEAarhus, digital heritage, HIVE, kinect, motion-trackingEMC

I did not mention all these in my 22 May presentation at Digital Heritage 3D conference in Aarhus (http://conferences.au.dk/digitalheritage/)

But here are some working notes for future development:

How Xbox Kinect camera tracking could change the simulated avatar:

Avatars in the simulated world change their size clothing or inventories – they scale relative to typical sizes and shapes of the typical inhabitants, or scale is dependent on the scene or avatar character chosen.
Avatars change to reflect people picking up things.
Avatars role-play – different avatars see different things in the digital world.
Narrator gestures affect the attention or behavior of the avatar.

How Xbox Kinect camera tracking could change the simulated world or digital objects in that world:

Multiple players are needed to lift and examine objects.
Objects move depending on the biofeedback of the audience or the presenter.
Interfaces for Skype and Google hangout – remote audiences can select part of the screen and filter scenes or wire-frame the main model.
Levels of authenticity and time layers can be controlled or are passively / indirectly affected by narrator motion or audience motion / volume / infrared output.

abstract: Motion Control For Remote Archaeological Presentations

10/03/2015Architecture, Conference, heritage3D, Aarhus, archaeology, denmark, digital heritage, gesture, kinect, Notion control, teleconferencing, urban design, visualizationEMC

My abstract for 21 May talk at the Digital Heritage 3D representation conference at Moesgaard Museum Aarhus Denmark

Title: Motion Control For Remote Archaeological Presentations

Displaying research data between archaeologists or to the general public is usually through linear presentations, timed or stepped through by a presenter. Through the use of motion tracking and gestures being tracked by a camera sensor, presenters can provide a more engaging experience to their audience, as they won’t have to rely on prepared static media, timing, or a mouse. While low-cost camera tracking allow participants to have their gestures, movements, and group behaviour fed into the virtual environment, either directly (the presenter is streamed) or indirectly (a character represents the presenter).

Using an 8 metre wide curved display (Figure 1) that can feature several on-screen panes at once, the audience can view the presenter next to a digital environment, with slides or movies or other presentation media triggered by the presenter’s hand or arm pointing at specific objects (Figure 2). An alternative is for a character inside the digital environment mirroring the body gestures of the presenter; where the virtual character points will trigger slides or other media that relates to the highlighted 3D objects in the digital scene.

Acknowledgement: I would like to thank iVEC summer intern Samuel Warnock for kicking off the prototype development for me and Zigfu for allowing us access to their SDK.

Figure 1. Screenshot of stereo curved screen at the HIVE, Curtin University.

Figure 2. Screenshot of prototype and pointing mechanism at the HIVE, Curtin University.

Trips planned for 2015

16/12/2014Conferencedigital heritage, digital humanities, DiGRA, travelEMC

Hoping to visit Europe in April and or May (Vienna, DiGRA conference, Germany) and Barcelona (September for Digital Heritage 2015).

Maybe Sydney 30 June-3 July 2015 for Digital Humanities 2015 and a meeting.

cfp: Digital Heritage: 3D representationMay 21-22, 2015 Aarhus Denmark

11/12/2014cfp, Conference, virtual heritage3D, Aarhus, Aarhus University, archaeology, cgp, digital heritage, Moesgaard, museumEMC

Digital Heritage is an annual conference hosted by the Centre for Digital Heritage. This year, the conference will be taking place at the newly reopened Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus, Denmark. The theme will be ‘3D representation in knowledge production’ by means of which we wish to enhance and solidify the presence of this new tool within digital heritage research. We are particularly keen to encourage presentations which relate to the scientific application of 3D in Digital Heritage research moving beyond visualization and dissemination.

http://conferences.au.dk/digitalheritage/

Cheap registration, free wine reception, the venue is the new and stunning Moesgaard Museum, what more can you ask for? Oh yes deadline is 19 January 2015. And yes I may be in Europe just before then for a conference, DiGRA in Germany but there are only 200 places and my university won’t open again until early January so you may just have to attend and present for me..:)

PS guess who wrote the application for Aarhus to join the international centre network for digital heritage!

cfp: Digital Heritage 2015, 28 Sep-2 October, Granada Spain

05/12/2014Conference, virtual heritagecfp, digital heritage, Spain, virtual heritageEMC

Digital Heritage 2015, 28 September – 2 October @ Granada, Spain

http://digitalheritage2015.org/

Digital Heritage 2015, jointly with the affiliated Conferences and exhibitions which are held under one common management and registration, invite you to participate and contribute to the second international forum for the dissemination and exchange of cutting-edge scientific knowledge on theoretical, generic and applied areas of digital heritage. A federated event of the leading scientific meetings in information technology for heritage, the Congress will bring VSMM, Eurographics GCH, Arqueologica2.0, Archaeovirtual, Digital Art Week and special events from CAA, CIPA, Space2Place, ICOMOS ICIP, and multiple others together in one venue with a prestigious joint publication. A ground-breaking public display of cutting edge digital heritage projects will also grace the conference venue at two museums: the museum Parque de las Ciencias de Andalucía and the museum of the Memory of Andalusia.

Important Dates

Length	Abstract (up to 300 words)	Deadline for Submission	Notification of Acceptance	Camera Ready Receipt
Full Papers	up to 8 pages	15th March	1st April	1st June	15th July
Short Papers	up to 4 pages	26th April	3rd May	17th June	15th July
Special Sessions
Tutorials	up to 8 pages	15th March	1st April	1st June	15th July
Workshops	up to 8 pages	15th March	1st April	1st June	15th July
Panels	up to 8 pages	15th March	1st April	1st June	15th July
Exhibitions & Demos	up to 3 pages	12th April	19th April	5th June	15th July

update on Journals : SCR Journal Ranking for Heritage and Digital Heritage

08/03/2014Digital Humanities, Journaldigital heritage, heritage, Journals, multimediaEMC

I don’t know what you make of these results and your view of SJR rankings (which my university apparently use and consider), but some of these journal rankings surprise me! I am especially surprised at the current standings of Presence, Virtual Reality, and Digital Creativity.

Cultural Digital Heritage / Virtual Heritage

The current frontrunner in specialist digital cultural heritage appears to be Journal of Computing and Cultural Heritage

In multimedia it appears to be User modelling and user-adapted interaction

In HCI the International Journal of Human Computer Studies is doing well but there are also several well ranked alternatives

Alternatives

International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 0.81
Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction 0.67
Human-Computer Interaction 0.63
Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces 0.55
Visual Studies 0.44 (but Arts and Humanities)
Visual Communication 0.41
Advances in Human-Computer Interaction 0.34
Digital Creativity 0.16 (on editorial board)

Heritage alternatives

Journal of Archaeological Research 1.21
Cambridge Archaeological Journal 0.76
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 0.72
Journal of Cultural Heritage 0.51
International Journal of Architectural Heritage 0.25

Philosophical

Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 0.25

Gaming and VR

Simulation and Gaming 1.21
Games and Culture 1.14 (on editorial board)
Computer Animation and Virtual Worlds 0.54
Virtual Reality 0.39
Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments 0.35
Game Studies 0.32
International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations 0.29 (on editorial board)
International Journal of Computer Games Technology 0.26

PhD in DIGITAL HERITAGE AND VIRTUAL CULTURE (4+4 OR 5+3) Aarhus University

20/02/2013Academic, Announcements, Digital Humanities, PhD, virtual heritageAarhus, Aarhus University, digital heritage, PhD, scholarship, Virtual CultureEMC

Link http://talent.au.dk/phd/arts/open-calls/phd-call-116/

The Graduate School of Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for a PhD scholarship in Digital Heritage and Virtual Culture. This scholarship is available as of 1 September 2013 for a period of up to three years (5+3) or up to four years (4+4). Candidates who are awarded the scholarship must commence their PhD programme on 1 September 2013.
Digitized and digital resources with archival institutions such as museums, libraries and research institutions are increasingly being made accessible for research, educational and public use and interaction. Digital resources and data may be both cultural heritage and everyday culture resources, and making such resources accessible and enriching them for innovative research, educational and public use and interaction are central tasks of the digital humanities.
The Danish Digital Humanities Lab (DIGHUMLAB DK), anchored at Aarhus University, is a national consortium engaged in digital humanities projects and in developing digital research infrastructures for the humanities and social sciences. With interdisciplinarity and collaborative research at the core of our vision, DIGHUMLAB can offer the PhD scholar collaborative networks with AU research centres (eg Centre for Advanced Visualization and Interaction, Centre for Participatory IT) and with interdisciplinary research environments including Smart Aarhus and the university’s research programmes in digital design, information science, media studies, archaeology, museology, anthropology and experience economy, as well as with international research networks and projects.
Proposals for PhD projects should focus on research in and development of methods, tools and applications for production, representation and dissemination of digital heritage and virtual culture, and may involve applied research in the development and deployment of GIS-based projects, digital heritage archives, 3D visualizations, interactive digital simulations, design or evaluation of cultural simulations in virtual environments, or game-based learning for digital archaeology and interactive history projects.
There is also a related research application to set up a network of digital heritage research, which Aarhus University is pursuing with other leading European Universities. If that grant is successful, the applicant may work as part of this new international network in digital heritage, or the research could be fractionally combined with the PhD scholarship in Heritage Studies.
Application deadline: 15 March 2013 at 23:59 Reference No: 2013-218/1-116