The eLearning Department of SZTAKI created a new service for the presentation, virtual tracking and interactive discovery of real spaces and special environments. The process starts with the preparation of high resolution, real 3D, 360º spheric panorama pictures about the target areas. Processing of these pictures is carried out with our own content editor, and a multiplatform (web, mobile, VR) player ensures proper access to the pictures on different devices.
The implementation of the virtual tracking service was preceded by multiple stages of an R&D project. Thanks to this approach the new service can make complete use of the features offered by the currently available IT devices and meet customer demands at the highest level. During the development process the service was tested with various data in multiple subject areas (industry, economy, education, science, tourism, general publications, etc.) and different target users (younger age groups and elderly people, with changing levels of education).
The new service can equally be applied on 2D and 3D devices. Although 2D displays are more commonly used these days, virtual tracking is most spectacular on 3D displays. It is possible to connect 5-6 rooms or subspaces during the virtual tracking, and an interactive map can further assist user orientation. In order to guide the user in the movement between the rooms and across subspaces the control features of the given display have to be concerned. In case of using a computer, the control device is most often its keyboard or mouse.
Depending on the particularities of the given location various use types can be considered:
» presentation of regions hard to access,
» introduction of locations requiring special clothing or strict local rules to be followed,
» visiting plants with continuous operation, where external attendees are not welcome,
» observing areas with subjects only temporarily available,
» presentation of real spaces with additional, even multilingual and/or multimedia content to offer a more detailed, diverse, novel user experience.
This user friendly, complex service can help our customers to efficiently contact their business partners and meet demonstration goals over different application domains by applying various models.
Essential references:
Joint Research and Innovation Center of Excellence Industry 4.0 of SZTAKI and „Széchenyi István” University, Győr – 3D and 2D presentations,
Roland Eötvös Memorial Collection, Budapest – 3D and 2Dtracking:
Lillafüred caves – interactive discovery in 2D:
Local History Collection, Ferencváros – virtual exhibition in 2D:
