Touching the Untouchable: Increasing Access to Archaeological Artefacts by Virtual Handling

提供触觉信息的计算机界面为交互式博物馆展示提供了令人兴奋的可能性，参观者可以在其中处理博物馆物品的虚拟复制品。以这种方式体验物品提供了参与过去感官世界的机会，并为广泛的博物馆参观者提供了新的访问形式。拟议的研究集群的重点是这种虚拟处理博物馆物品，考古纺织品被选为案例研究。新的触摸技术提供了处理这些稀有易碎物品的虚拟复制品的机会。此外，这样的计算机系统远比大量实物收藏更便携，因此为无法参观博物馆的公众团体提供了巨大的扩展潜力。一看到纺织品就很自然地想要处理它--通过操纵可以最好地了解纺织品特有的机械和表面属性。因此，考古纺织品是虚拟操作的一种特别好的人工制品选择。方便的是，当前的接口技术特别适合表示轻便、灵活的对象，如纺织品。该专题组的总体目标是更好地了解虚拟处理考古纺织品的潜力，从而产生开发和实施这些技术的一项或多项主要研究建议。该群组计划包括来自至少12个机构的24名参与者(加上新的研究人员和研究学生)，其中包括一个由6人组成的负责整体战略的“核心团队”。该分组将汇集纺织考古、博物馆陈列、计算机接口等领域的专家，以确定目前可以实现的目标，通过未来的合作实现的现实目标，以及需要进一步开发的技术和技术。

Computer interfaces that provide information to the sense of touch offer exciting possibilities for interactive museum displays in which the visitor can handle virtual replicas of museum objects. Experiencing objects in this way provides an opportunity to participate in the sensory worlds of the past and offers new forms of accessibility for a wide range of museum visitors. The focus of the proposed research cluster is this virtual handling of museum objects, with archaeological textiles selected as a case study. New touch technologies offer the chance to handle virtual replicas of these rare and fragile objects. In addition, such a computer system is far more portable than a large collection of real objects and so offers significant outreach potential for public groups unable to visit the museum. On seeing a textile it is natural to wish to handle it - the characteristic mechanical and surface properties of textiles are best understood by manipulation. Hence archaeological textiles are a particularly good choice of artefact for virtual handling. Conveniently, current interface technology is particularly suited to represent light, flexible objects such as textiles. The overall aim of the cluster is to develop an improved understanding of the potential for virtual handling of archaeological textiles, leading to one or more major research proposals to develop and implement these techniques. The cluster is planned to involve 24 participants (plus new researchers and research students) from at least 12 institutions, including a 'core team' of six who are responsible for overall strategy. The cluster will bring together specialists in the areas of textile archaeology, museum display, computer interfaces, etc., to establish what is currently achievable, what is realistically achievable through future collaboration, and what technologies and techniques need further development.