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International Conference on Immersive Learning

iLRN 2019: Immersive Learning Research Network pp 117–128Cite as

Viewing the Past: Virtual Time Binoculars and the Edinburgh 1544 Reconstruction

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Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1044))

Abstract

This paper discusses how a digital reconstruction of the Scottish capital of Edinburgh around the year 1544 was created and communicated to the public. It explores the development and reception of the Virtual Time Binoculars platform – a system for delivering virtual reality heritage apps suitable for use on most smartphones. The Virtual Time Binoculars system is placed in the context of earlier research into mobile heritage experiences, including Situated Simulations (Liestøl [3]) and the Mirrorshades Project (Davies et al. [4]). The eventual virtual reality app is compared with other means of viewing the historic reconstruction, including online videos and an interactive museum and educational exhibit. It outlines the historical and technical challenges of modelling Edinburgh’s sixteenth-century cityscape, and of distributing the eventual reconstruction in an immersive fashion that works safely and effectively on smartphones on the streets of the modern city. Finally, it considers the implications of this project for future developments in mobile exploration of historic scenes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK

    Elizabeth Rhodes, Alan Miller, Christopher Davies, Iain Oliver & Sarah Kennedy

Authors
  1. Elizabeth Rhodes
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  2. Alan Miller
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  3. Christopher Davies
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  4. Iain Oliver
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  5. Sarah Kennedy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Rhodes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA

    Dennis Beck

  2. British Telecom Research Labs, Ipswich, UK

    Anasol Peña-Rios

  3. University Libraries, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    Todd Ogle

  4. University of Westminster, London, UK

    Daphne Economou

  5. Computer Science, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Markos Mentzelopoulos

  6. Universidade Aberta, Coimbra, Portugal

    Leonel Morgado

  7. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

    Christian Eckhardt

  8. Institute for Information Systems and Computer Media, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Johanna Pirker

  9. Institute for Software Technology, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Roxane Koitz-Hristov

  10. Salish Kootenai College, Pablo, MT, USA

    Jonathon Richter

  11. Institute for Information Systems and Computer Media, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Steiermark, Austria

    Christian Gütl

  12. University of Essex, Colchester , UK

    Michael Gardner

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Rhodes, E., Miller, A., Davies, C., Oliver, I., Kennedy, S. (2019). Viewing the Past: Virtual Time Binoculars and the Edinburgh 1544 Reconstruction. In: Beck, D., et al. Immersive Learning Research Network. iLRN 2019. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1044. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23089-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23089-0_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-23088-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-23089-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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