(2024)

Timetravel Fichtelgebirge launched in 2023 brings regional history back to life at the Fichtelgebirgsmuseum Wunsiedel: Visitors are able to take a virtual journey through time to identity-forming places, famous personalities and thematic identity anchors in the Fichtelgebirge. The museum thus combines past and present, real objects and virtual applications and conveys local culture and regional identity.

As part of the project, we are using artificial intelligence (AI) to bring historical figures to life and bring cultural artifacts to life in 3D. The image generators enhance personalities such as Queen Louise or Alexander von Humboldt. The starting point is, for example, a portrait in a painting. The generators then complete the rest of the body and clothing.

The AI takes care of facial expressions and mouth movements, and the figures learn to speak using synthetic voices. In this way, the portraits come to life, tell their story and take visitors on a journey into the past. Visitors can experience all of this via their own smartphone or via large screens and VR headsets in the museum.

Publications:

HCI International, Washington, USA (23.-28. Juli 2023):
Generative AI tool pipeline for creating artificial historical characters for cultural heritage XR
https://2024.hci.international
Publisher: Springer

Eurographics Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage 2024, Darmstadt (16.-18. September 2024):
WebXR Cultural Heritage Tour with Generative AI Characters
https://gch2024.eu
Publisher: Eurographics

HUMAN’24 - 7th Workshop on Human Factors in Hypertext, Poznan, Poland, Hof (10. September 2024)
Interactive WebXR Hypertext Storytelling for Cultural Heritage
https://human.iisys.de/human24
Publisher: ACM

exhibition, research