Archaeology takes particular advantage from the use of virtual reality, and in particular from 3D reconstruction, especially to present to the public a comprehensive and comprehensible view of the sites suitable for different cultural levels. Virtual reality offers everyone a key to interpreting the past, or even a multi-sensory journey through time, overcoming language barriers through visual language.
Modern virtual technologies (VR viewers, AR glasses, immersive projections, 360 video...) have opened up new application opportunities in a cross-media perspective, enhancing different channels including web and social media, physical installations, publications, television.Carraro LAB has developed important projects and obtained international recognition in the field of virtual archaeology.
In October 2016, in Budapest, the most important prize for museum operators, AVICOM, was awarded to the TIME MACHINE platform, developed byCarraro LAB for the Unesco site in Brescia. For the first time in the world, 6 virtual and augmented reality technologies have been integrated in the Brixia archaeological park: VR viewers, Ar glass glasses (in collaboration with Art Glass), immersive projections, videoguide on tablets, videos with 3D reconstructions, printed catalog with augmented content.
In his latest public presentation, the keynote of iPad2 in 2011, Steve Jobs presented the APP Roma Virtual History, created byCarraro LAB for Mondadori.
The application introduced for the first time the use of the gyroscope to explore virtual contents on a mobile device, a solution at the base of subsequent developments in Virtual reality. Roma Virtual History has been an important international success: in first place in sales in Italy, Sweden and Holland, it has also entered the top Ten of the most sold apps in the USA: remarkable for a title of Archaeology, the other 9 were videogames.
In museums an installation with a suggestive effect is the immersive projection: by using virtual content and synchronized projectors on different walls, it is possible to obtain scenographic and sensory effects of great impact.Carraro LAB has created several immersive installations for archaeological and historical exhibitions.
Another advanced installation for museums are the Oculus rooms: environments where virtual reality viewers are placed, usually on revolving chairs, available to the public.Carraro LAB has realized the first installation of VR Headsets in a paid exhibition, for the exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci at Palazzo Reale, Milan.