3D scanning digital models for virtual museums

Abstract

AbstractA great number of virtual museums exhibit archaeological artifacts in an interactive form using 3D digital models to disseminate them to as many users as possible. Currently, 3D models obtained as a result of scanning museum objects have gained a great popularity. This technique allows to faithfully reproduce objects and to expose artifacts too delicate and precious to be presented in the real world. The aim of this article is to create a virtual museum in the VR world using 3D models obtained by 3D scanning with structured light. The advantages of optimizing mesh models for their use in virtual exhibitions are discussed. Unity and Unreal Engine, were used to create virtual museums in the VR world. Two twin test applications were prepared. This allowed to compare the performance of the developed applications (processor, graphics card, and RAM load). A survey was also conducted among the users of the implemented virtual museum application. For immersion in the world of VR, a low‐cost solution was used, involving the use of cheap VR frames, a smartphone, and a computer. The frames together with the smartphone were used to display the image, while the entire rendering process was performed on the computer.