Rome Reborn showcases new approaches for exhibiting historical findings in museums, classrooms, and on the Internet. Approximately 7,000 buildings recapture Rome at the peak of its glory in 320 AD, at the time of Constantine the Great. The project opens new channels for education, collaboration between scholars, and communication of archaeology to the general public.
“Rome Reborn is re-inventing the way we explore, understand, and celebrate our past by bringing together technologies that invigorate and define the future of computer graphics and interactive techniques,” said Cole Krumbholz, SIGGRAPH 2008 Associate Producer of Encounters. “This exhibit demonstrates the impact modern computer graphics is having on other fields, such as archeology and the humanities.”
In real time, visitors to the exhibit will be able to explore the ancient city landscape and its numerous buildings and immerse themselves in the reconstructed 3D models of ancient Roman architecture, rendered interactively.
Several industry and academic partners have collaborated to create Rome Reborn. These include IATH, IBM, Illustrious, mental images, Past Perfect Productions Srl., Procedural Inc., the Politecnico di Milano, UCLA, and Mersive Technologies - each one contributing creative content with computer graphics technologies that combine to deliver interactive experiences of ancient Rome.
- The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH) ( http://www.iath.virginia.edu/) at the University of Virginia is a world leader in the field of digital humanities and has been the lead developer of the Rome Reborn project since 2004.
- IBM’s ( http://www.ibm.com/us/) Using Cell Processor Technology has created a highly interactive way to experience ancient Rome, resulting in an improved frame rate, resolution, and illumination of the model over the first version of the Rome Reborn application.
- Illustrious ( http://www.illustriouscompany.co.uk/) is a UK-based company specializing in three-dimensional sound, and they have worked with IATH to create videos of everyday life in ancient Rome in order to enhance the Rome Reborn model.
- mental images’ ( http://www.mentalimages.com/) RealityServer®, is a server-based 3D application and web services platform that enables a completely interactive experience with massive 3D models like ancient Rome, in real time on the Internet.
- Past Perfect Productions Srl. ( http://www.pastperfectproductions.com/index2.html) a company based in Rome, Italy, reconstructs archaeological and historical sites from around the globe using scientific research and cutting-edge virtual reality techniques, owns exclusive worldwide commercial rights to the Rome Reborn model, and has partnered the development of the project.
- Ducati Myers Srl. and the University of Bologna have developed a mobile virtual reality device called the TimeMachineTM that uses location tracking to visualize the 3D Rome Reborn model onto real world scenery. Adapted for SIGGRAPH by Fraunhofer Institut IGD and ArtResearch SRL., this technology enables tourists to visit the modern-day Roman ruins and experience the ancient city as it appeared during its peak in 320 AD.
- Procedural Inc. ( http://www.procedural.com/), an ETH spin-off company and the developer of the recently launched CityEngine® software that allows for the fastest creation of large-scale urban environments such as the more than 7,000 buildings automatically generated in Rome Reborn.
- The Politecnico di Milano ( http://www.polimi.it/) made important contributions in digitizing the famous “Plastico di Roma Antica,” a 1:250 physical model of the ancient city created over a 30 year period for a museum in Rome. The digitized physical model served as the point of departure for the Rome Reborn project.
- UCLA ( http://www.ucla.edu/ ) contributed highly detailed models of more than 30 sites in ancient Rome, including the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.
- Mersive Technologies ( http://www.mersive.com ), a leader in the creation of ultra definition (UD) displays, will make visitors feel as though they are actually stepping into ancient Rome through pixel-perfect images showcased on its 27 million pixel ultra definition display that measures 25' 5" wide by 10' 9" tall by 36" deep (24' 5" x 8' 7" viewable screen) with a resolution 14x greater than HD.
