The Participatory Graphics of Cultural Heritage. New Methods of Analysis, Knowledge and Valorisation

Abstract

The paper describes a project for the understanding of Cultural Heritage, through experimental procedures that can provide scientifically measurable results. The project, called HeGo (HeritageGo), provides for the creation of a model of social and participatory interaction applied to surveys in archaeological, architectural and urban contexts. The procedure is structured principally around the voluntary participation of various “players/users” (tourists, students, ordinary citizens, cultural associations, etc.). The key elements of the project are a specially designed App and a “Totem/Target” to be strategically placed near the site to be studied. They will allow metrically reliable processing, exploiting the potential of Structure From Motion (SFM) procedures. The direct participation of the players in the acquisition process, through recourse to the logic of gamification, is an innovative and easy-to-use procedure, which can stimulate the knowledge and evaluation of the Cultural Heritage of our country. The final objective is the constitution of a scientifically validated Database, obtained through the contribution provided, in the context of a “social game”, by the participation of users who are not necessarily - technically or scientifically - experts, transforming them into an active part of the process. The system opens up new perspectives for the knowledge and assessment of the Cultural Heritage, both in terms of involvement of players/users and in terms of cost savings with respect to the standard survey methods. In particular, the procedure of the HeGo project was checked in a small historic centre, limiting the area of interest to several monuments.