=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-3039/short41
|storemode=property
|title=Application of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for Creation of a Digital Museum of Scientific and Cultural Heritage of Ivan Puluj
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3039/short41.pdf
|volume=Vol-3039
|authors=Oleksandr Kramar,Yuriy Skorenkyy,Oleksandr Rokitskyi,Taras Kramar
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/ittap/KramarSRK21
}}
==Application of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for Creation of a Digital Museum of Scientific and Cultural Heritage of Ivan Puluj==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3039/short41.pdf
Application of Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for
Creation of a Digital Museum of Scientific and Cultural Heritage
of Ivan Puluj
Oleksandr Kramar, Yuriy Skorenkyy, Oleksandr Rokitskyi and Taras Kramar
Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, 56 Ruska St, Ternopil, UA46001, Ukraine
Abstract
The transformation of exhibition spaces to make different segments of society acquainted
with the historical, cultural and scientific heritage requires use of modern information
technology, including virtual and augmented realities. In this regard, it is appropriate for
museums to use immersive techniques in order to preserve and demonstrate digitized
scientific and cultural artifacts. The paper presents the concept of a digital museum of
scientific and cultural heritage of the famous Ukrainian scientist in fields of physics,
electrical engineering and public figure Ivan Puluj, which may contribute, in particular, to the
growth of tourist attractiveness of Ternopil region and popularization of Ukrainian science in
general. Using computer-aided 3D technology, a panoramic tour, virtual space and
augmented reality application have been created based on archival information content
associated with the name of this prominent scientist.
Keywords
Virtual reality, augmented reality, virtual tourism, cultural heritage, virtual tours
1. Introduction
The rapid development of modern methods of computer scanning and 3D modeling, as well as
virtual and augmented reality technologies provide opportunities for creating realistic copies of a
variety of objects in accordance with the concept of digital twins [1]. Special attention in this context
is to be paid to objects of scientific and cultural heritage (see for review [2-4]) for which a
reconstruction in digital 3D-format opens wide prospects for educational activities and popularization
of scientific achievements, formation of scientific worldview, comprehensive introduction of the latest
technologies, preservation of historical traditions of educational institutions [5,6].
Immersive technologies (with the possibility of deep immersion in the virtual world) include
human interaction with the digital visual environment and are designed to create an effect of presence
through perception and interaction with 3D content (see, for example, one of the first significant
ARCO projects [7], which was aimed at developing a set of digital museums technologies for the
creation, preservation and demonstration of digitized cultural objects in virtual exhibitions, available
both in museums and remotely). The authors [8] note that the creation of a virtual museum based on
the concept of multi-component mixed reality, which combines elements of virtual and augmented
reality, as well as web-3D allows to achieve a new level of visitor interaction with the information
content of the exhibition.
Ivan Puluj, who originated from the Ternopil region, belongs to the cohort of those famous
scientists [9,10] who left behind a huge amount of archival material. Acquaintance with technical
features of inventions, scientific works, translation and journalistic activity of our outstanding
compatriot still represents considerable cognitive value, and not only for the scientific community, but
also for a citizen, especially a pupil or a student.
ITTAP’2021: 1nd InternationalWorkshop on Information Technologies: Theoretical and Applied Problems,November 16–18, 2021, Terno-
pil, Ukraine
EMAIL: kramaroitntu@gmail.com (A.1); skorenkyy.tntu@gmail.com (A.2); rokitskyi.o@gmail.com (A.3); kramartar18@gmail.com (A.4)
ORCID: 0000-0003-0805-3732 (A. 1); 0000-0002-4809-9025 (A. 2)
© 2021 Copyright for this paper by its authors.
Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
CEUR Workshop Proceedings (CEUR-WS.org)
In the digital age, age of advanced web technologies, more and more people, especially
youngsters, are actively using mobile communication devices or computers for fast search for
information not only for educational purposes, but also for entertainment and work. That is why the
adaptive potential of traditional exhibition grounds and museums, in particular their ability to
transform into virtual spaces, acquires special importance. Modern computer 3D-technologies allow
not only to improve the information component of the museum exposition, raising it to a qualitatively
higher level, but also to preserve its interactivity. It should be noted that the digital translation of
historical and cultural heritage sites, including works of art, archival materials, archaeological records
and artifacts, as well as monuments, buildings and historical landscapes, helps to organize and
preserve the most important information [11, 12], promotes the adaptation of visitors and their
orientation in an unfamiliar environments.
2. Object of Study
In the present work the exposition of the Ivan Puluj Museum which was founded in 2010 at
Ternopil National Technical University, has been digitized. Scanned textured 3D models of
monuments to the outstanding Ukrainian scientist and public and political figure Ivan Puluj, located in
the Ternopil region, were also created. It should be noted that the figure of this talented scientist
always attracts considerable interest [9,10,13], because Ivan Puluj due to the diversity of interests and
high level of achievements in various fields of activity proved himself as a physicist and electrician,
electrician, designer and inventor, outstanding organizer in the field of science and education, a
translator of the Bible, a true Ukrainian patriot. The work of the physicist contributed to the
establishment of the atomistic theory of the structure of matter, became the basis for the discovery of
X-rays and electrons, contributed to the formation of X-ray as a science, its active use in medicine,
and scientific hypotheses about the mechanism and nature of cathode and X-rays to be evaluated
properly (I. Puluj is mentioned in the fundamental monograph [14]). The scientist's achievements in
the field of electrical engineering and electric power generation were rewarded by the highest
governmental awards, inventions were patented in many European countries, and theoretical works on
alternating current electrodynamics formed the foundation of certain sections of electrical
engineering.
It should be noted that the materials of archival and library funds were used during the preparation
of the exposition, in particular: the Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in Lviv, the Central
State Archive of Supreme Bodies of Power and Government of Ukraine, the National Museum in
Lviv, the Puluj Family archive, Lviv V. Stefanyk Scientific Library of the National Academy of
Sciences of Ukraine, Scientific Library of National University “Lviv Polytechnic”, V. Vernadsky
National Library of Ukraine, archives of the University of Vienna. All these are mainly reprints of
scientific German-language works of the scientist, their translations into Ukrainian and English, his
journalistic and epistolary heritage, autobiographies, memoirs of his contemporaries (for a review of
archival materials see, for example, [15,16]), as well as specialized monographs and books [9,17,18]).
Following the work [19], we briefly describe the content of the exposition, which is presented in
eight stands. Each of them, except for the first and last, covers a certain period of life or activity of the
scientist. The first stand contains biographical information. The second characterizes the years of
study at Ternopil Gymnasium and the University of Vienna (the most interesting photos and places
are specially highlighted, including copies of baptismal certificates, a fragment of an autobiography
mentioning the founding of the “Hromada” society, letters to friends, contemporary photos of
Ternopil, etc.). The materials of the third stand cover the scientific and inventive activities of the
scientist at the Universities of Vienna and Strasbourg (there are photos of some works in the field of
molecular physics, a monograph on cathode rays, reconstruction of the Puluj device for measuring
mechanical heat equivalent). The Prague period of the scientist's life, dedicated to electrical
engineering and the position of professor at the German Higher Technical School, is described on the
fourth stand (photos of the title pages of the most important scientific publications and inventions in
the field of practical electrical engineering and telephony, power plant design, etc). The fifth stand
contains information about the discovery of X-rays, chronological information about the publications
of W. Roentgen and I. Puluj, the first X-ray images and gives reasons to emphasize the significant
contribution of Ivan Puluj to the study of nature, mechanism, properties and prospects of cathode rays.
Activities to promote the creation of a Uk Ukrainian university, socio-political
political views of I. Puluj, in
particular on the role of Ukraine in the geopolitical concept of Europe, are reflected on the sixth stand.
The seventh stand is devoted to the activities related to the assertion of the Ukrainian la language in
church literature, cooperation with P. Kulish and I. Nechuj
Nechuj-Levytskyj
Levytskyj in the translation of the Bible.
On the last stand there are photos covering the personal and family life of the scientist. In front of the
stands around the museum hall there are books and brochures, Holy Scripture, Prayer Book and
Psalter, scientific works and popular science articles, documents (copies of Ivan Puluj's student book,
minutes of the University of Vienna Habilitation Commission signed by Ludwig Boltzmann, Josef
Stefan, Victor Lang), exhibits from the Prague Polytechnic (kindly provided by Prof. I. Kraus) letters,
appeals and memoranda, memoirs of contemporaries, commemorative coin, stamps and postal
envelopes. The busts of I. Puluj by the sculptor Emanuil Mysko ((located
located in the museum of TNTU in
Ternopil), the busts of I. Puluj (located in the lobby of the main building of TNTU in Ternopil) and
the monument to I. Puluj in Hrymayliv (Ternopil region) by sculptor Mykola Obeziuk were selected
for photogrammetric scanning.
The basic hypothesis of this study is that the digitization of these monuments of Ukrainian
scientific and cultural heritage with further promotion in the web space will improve the visibility of
higher education establishment, will intensify the flow of visitors to the University museum, and thus
create another attractive location for tourism in the region. It is worth noting that the scientific and
educational goal of this project was to promote the achievements of Ukrainian science and the
formation of the scientific worldview of the younger generation, the development of patriotism of
Ukrainian society on the example of the best scientists of the Ukrainian state.
3. Materials and Methods
The activities for creating a virtual space of the digital museum of scientific and cultural heritage
of Ivan Puluj was based on the following step
step-by-step
step method (see Figure 1). Initially, collecting and
pre-processing
processing the information content has been done, with activities in the open spaces and indoors,
aimed at obtaining
ning the necessary photographic data.
Figure 1:: Conceptual structural diagram of the digital museum of Ivan Puluj with reflection of the
main steps of the methodology of information system design
Simultaneously, the collected data were pre-processed
processed to meet the stated objectives of the study. The
creation of the information and software complex took place at the laboratory stage (using the
equipment and computing capacity of the Cyber Physical Systems Laboratory of TNTU, Quad Core
Intel Core i7-7700K 4400 MHz CPU, Kingston HyperX DDR4-2400/1200 MHz RAM, NVIDIA
GeForce GTX 950 2 Gb 1024 MHz GPU, 500GB Samsung 870 EVO SSD), which involved the
actual production of 3D and panoramic models for publication in the web space. Creating a
promotional website and augmented reality application was the final stage of the project, which
provided interactivity and online accessibility to all models created in the previous stages.
The data collection process (see Figure 2) was based on the use of terrestrial close-range
photogrammetry (TCRP), aerial close-range photogrammetry (ACRP) and 3D modeling using
specialized software to obtain high-quality models suitable for integration into a website and
interactive viewing in the Sketchfab web-service. Thus, both for the lower part of the monuments and
for the museum interior, the data required was acquired by employing the TCRP technique, using a
smartphone camera with 12+5 MP resolution, f/2.0. The overflight, using an unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV), of the upper parts of the churches concerned used a DJI Ryze Tello, with a 1/2.3 inch CMOS
sensor and 5 MP.
Figure 2: Method of obtaining photographs for creating three-dimensional textured models of
monuments (by analogy with technology [3])
In Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, the collection of the Ivan Puluj’s Electronic
Fund in the institutional repository [15] and Ivan Puluj's museum have been actively replenished with
new materials for more than a decade. With the help of the action-camera with 360° module Insta360
ONE R Twin Edition, panoramic photos of the I. Puluj Museum and the locations where the busts are
located, were filmed. Based on the photo materials of the exposition, a panoramic tour of the museum
has been created (available on the university website at puluj-museum.tntu.edu.ua). The exhibition
stands described above can be viewed by users in the form of high-resolution digital copies from any
laptop or mobile device. The tour is also supplemented with links to multimedia content with
instruments and devices, designed by I. Puluj (based on archival photographs of the Puluj physical
laboratory at the Prague Polytechnic, see photo tab [9, p. 32]).
Using the available archival materials, 3D-models of lamps constructed by Puluj were created
(rendering was carried out with the help of specialized software Autodesk 3ds MAX 2021 as well as
ZBrush, and texturized in Adobe Substance Painter). Digital copies of scientific papers and real
museum stands with rare photographs (see Figures 5, 6) are located in a virtual space developed with
Unity engine use (including the Probuilder package for landscapes and interiors).
Figure3: Electronic fund of Ivan Puluj in the institutional depository of TNTU [15]
Figure 4: Start page of the Ivan Puluj panoramic museum with a video tour and integrated 3D
models of monuments
It is planned to distribute the exposition of the virtual museum in accordance with the historical
and geographical periods of I. Puluj's activity (Ternopil region, Vienna, Strasbourg, Prague, etc.). For
the sake of completeness and authenticity, some 3D-models for the museum, in particular busts and
monuments to I. Puluj, were reproduced by photogrammetry using programs for 3D-processing of
photographs (3DF Zephyr, Meshroom, Meshmixer). Worthwhile to note, 3DF Zephyr performs
rendering with the advanced proprietary algorithm, known in computer vision as Multiview Stereo,
designed to highly accurate extract dense point clouds from a collection of 2D images. Also, the
proprietary algorithm for mesh extraction in 3DF Zephyr ensures extracting the surface in high detail.
Filming in Hrymayliv and Ternopil made it possible to obtain (see Figs. 2, 6) scanned models of
monuments with detailed textures. The virtual space is converted into an Android application that
supports the functionality of virtual reality glasses (see Fig. 7, the avatar is controlled by the
movements of the head based on changing the position of the sensors of the mobile device).
Figure 5: Screenshot of the virtual space of the Ivan Puluj digital museum with a model of a bust, a
Puluj lamp and a fragment of the exposition related to the history of X-rays discovery.
Figure 6: General plan of the browser version of the Ivan Puluj digital museum virtual exposition,
developed with Unity instruments and integrated into the website with use of WebGL technology.
Figure 7: Screenshot of a user view of the exposition of the Ivan Puluj digital museum through virtual
reality glasses
Figure 8: Screenshots of a mobile device with the "Monuments to Ivan Puluj" augmented reality
application
To obtain the museum's exhibits as augmented reality objects, printed photo materials (postcards,
calendars, souvenir magnets) were used, which contain a number of image-templates that act as visual
markers for mobile devices (such a scheme has been successfully tested on 3D memory models of
monuments to I. Puluj in Ternopil region, see Fig. 8). The real stands and objects presented in the
panoramic museum also contain markers that will provide additional information through a visitor's
smartphone or tablet (analog of a virtual guide).
4. Conclusions
Summarizing, we note that the use of extended reality means (through the components of virtual
and augmented reality) allows for the proper reconstruction of devices and techniques that were
crucial to the technological progress of civilization and contributes to a better understanding of the
historical context. Main applied result of our work is the design of the framework for development of
the complex of interrelated components for virtual museums and collections. The proof-of-concept
web portal with 3D content, created during this study as an extension of the traditional information
databases, will help to increase the tourist attractiveness of Ternopil region, the birthplace of Ivan
Puluj and preserve cultural heritage in digital formats.
The format of the digital museum should be used as a modern addition to the existing stationary
exhibitions, as it brings a number of significant benefits, including greater accessibility, elements of
interactivity of the virtual exhibition, the ability to actively promote during educational activities, such
as field trips and mobile exhibitions, scientific picnics, mobile lectures, etc.
5. Acknowledgements
The authors of the article and the Cyber-Physical Systems Laboratory are grateful to Ternopil Ivan
Puluj National Technical University for financial support of the project.
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