Real-world Data for Virtual Reality Experiences: Interpreting Excavations

Paleontological and archaeological excavations are usually relatively abstract to general audiences, yet they contextualize heritage in the present much better than if the scientific discoveries are interpreted only with fossils, artifacts and accompanying reconstructions. In this work, we explore how real-world, as well as multi-resource data, can be used for Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. We present the development and results, including preliminary user evaluations, of a 360-degree head-mounted display (HMD) experience of a dinosaur dig at the Eric the RedWestat Cape Otway in Victoria, Australia. The experience was part of The Little L Project, a pilot exhibition exploring the use of Mixed Reality (MR) technologies in museums. A similar approach could be used for communicating archaeological fieldworks.