Augmented reality as digital preservation and communication tool in Cultural Heritage domain

Augmented reality as digital preservation and communication tool in Cultural Heritage domain. ABSTRACT Cultural heritage is a rather broad concept that may refer to a specific place, a people, a country, or even be considered the legacy of the entire planet. Undoubtedly, the more significant and accessible a heritage site is to tourists and local communities, the more care it receives: “Local communities take pride in – and have a sense of responsibility and empowerment towards – the World Heritage properties, contributing to property conservation and the sustainable management of tourism” [1]. However, there are also other examples—places you may have walked by just yesterday, which no longer exist today. Many things decay and disappear before our eyes. This contrast between well-preserved landmarks and overlooked, disappearing places raises an important question: how can we ensure broader visibility and preservation of cultural heritage, especially beyond official institutions? One possible answer lies in rethinking how communities engage with heritage and how new technologies can support that process. On the global stage, several initiatives aim at the digital preservation of cultural heritage, such as Global Digital Heritage, Google Arts & Culture’s Scan the World, and CyArk [2,3,4]. These platforms offer access to heritage in digital formats, introducing users to endangered languages, traditional crafts, sculptures, architecture, and other forms of expression. Digitalization is becoming increasingly embedded in our lives. It is supported by international organizations such as UNESCO (Cultural and Digital Technologies) [5], and is part of governmental agendas—for example, Shaping Europe’s Digital Future [6]. As technologies evolve, the future begins to resemble the visions of science fiction and futurism: cybernetization, territorial expansion, digitalization, and life alongside AI. In an optimistic scenario, we could preserve our heritage—if not physically, then digitally—granting it a kind of digital immortality, anchored to its geographical location. This thesis is dedicated to precisely this direction: experimenting with new, accessible technologies and devices aimed at enhancing the perception of cultural heritage objects. Special attention is given to the use of augmented reality (AR) technologies, which allow not only for the visualization of lost or difficult-to-access heritage objects within real-world environments but also for interactive engagement with them. These solutions enable viewers to explore objects in detail, examine their structures, listen to accompanying audio narratives, and move through digital reconstructions—fostering a deeper and more personalized cultural experience. This approach opens up new forms of access to heritage beyond the walls of museums—on the streets, in public spaces, or at the very sites of historical significance. The aim of this thesis is to explore, in practice, how augmented reality technologies can function in the context of digital heritage preservation, as well as how they can engage people through interactive and game-based experiences.This thesis explores precisely this direction: experimenting with emerging, accessible technologies and devices aimed at enhancing the perception of cultural heritage objects.