Cultural Heritage Reconstruction of the Cinema Flamman Using VR

Abstract

Virtual reality is adopted in many areas such as the military, education, health care, and preservation of cultural heritage. This thesis will further explore the possibility of cultural heritage preservation in virtual reality by reconstructing the environment of the old and defunct cinema in Gothenburg named Flamman. The aim is to provide a proof-of-concept experience, in which a user can get the feeling that they are located in the actual cinema. To achieve this, a focus on good interaction design and a pleasant user experience is of high priority, as not to introduce common issues in virtual reality applications such as motion sickness. Tools such as Blender and Unity are utilized to implement these goals. To further ensure that the created application fulfills these main goals, user tests are conducted in which the test participants can express their experience. The results from these tests indicate that the application offers a satisfying experience, and the feeling of being in a cinema is present. Ultimately, all of the goals were met by the implemented features. Not only is it possible to watch a movie, but users can also share the experience together by using the multiplayer functionality.