Ricerc@Sapienza

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.