In Brief

• Museums, schools, and governments looking to improve cultural tourism could all benefit from integrating VR to make learning about history more engaging
• Lithodomos VR sets itself apart by being overwhelmingly historically accurate with their VR experiences

Demonstrating the potential of virtual reality (VR) outside of gaming, Australian VR archeological startup, Lithodomos VR is working to create archaeologically accurate reconstructions of the ancient world. In fact, they recently managed to raise $679,000 ($900,000 Australian dollars) to make their vision a reality.

Led by Simon Young,  Lithodomos VR is working closely with a team of archaeologists, computer modelers, and content distributors to precisely recreate historical sites.

Tyropoeon Valley.

“From the beginning, we have had only one goal: to bring the ancient world to life for everyone using virtual reality. This funding round is the next step forward […] Our obsession over archaeological accuracy is what makes us stand out,” shares Young.

Combining archaeology and VR delivers a novel and immersive experience, something that could be applied across various disciplines. This technology presents enormous potential for museums, who can attract a wider and younger demographic, governments who want to promote tourism while educating about their cultural heritage, and educational institutions, where VR can be used to enhance teaching methods and engage students.

Arènes de Lutèce

The company has already created a VR reconstruction of Paris’ Arènes de Lutèce, as it would have looked during the Roman era, which users can experience at home or on site with their preferred hardware. In addition, the company is planning to create a variety of museum installations.

While these archaeological experiences are relatively new, you may soon see VR popping up in museums and schools.

References:
VentureBeat
Lithodomos VR