25 Years – LAVAL Awards 2002 – CCG

Throughout its 25 years of history, CCG – Centro de Computação Gráfica – has worked on projects that have exploited the latest technologies in the most diverse areas, from historical and cultural heritage to telemedicine, for example.

These projects, due to their innovations and their generated potentialities, have come to deserve different distinctions. These awards include prizes such as the European IST Grand Prize, the Descartes Prize, and the LAVAL Awards.

Today we look especially at the LAVAL awards, a unique competition for its breadth of virtual reality and augmented reality.

Looking back into the past, it can be said that the CCG was a pioneer in the exploration of virtual reality and augmented reality in Portugal, with projects such as the  Virtual Oceanarium and ARCHEOGUIDE, winner of two LAVAL awards.

LAVAL Virtual 2002 Awards – Project ARCHEOGUIDE (2000-2002)

The ARCHEOGUIDE (Augmented Reality-Based Cultural Heritage On-Site Guide) was honored in 2002 with the “Science et Education” and “Grand Prix du Jury 2002” awards, by an international jury and specialist in Laval Academy, Mayenne France, during the conference “LAVAL Virtual 2002”.

This project, financed by the European Commission, in the scope of the IST Program, has developed new ways of accessing information in places of cultural and heritage interest, such as museums, historic buildings or archaeological ruins.

To this end, a Client-Server system was implemented, based on the most advanced technologies of augmented reality, 3D visualization, mobile computing and multimodal interaction of the time.

Carrying a semitransparent head-mounted display (HMD) and mobile computing equipment, the visitor was provided with real-time information about where to visit. A location system sensed the visitor’s position in space at any moment, and visual or sound information was presented in a coordinated way, superimposed on the real world.

The prototype of the system was initially tested in the ruins of Olympia, Greece. The virtual reconstruction of the ruined buildings took on a particular emphasis, showing their historical evolution.

Partners of the ARCHEOGUIDE project:

  • Intracom SA, Grécia;
  • IGD, Frauhofer Institue for Computer Graphics, Alemanha;
  • ZGDV, Computer Graphics Center, Alemanha;
  • CCG/ZGDV, Centro de Computação Gráfica, Portugal;
  • A&C 2000 s.r.l, Duemila Arts and Crafts, Itália;
  • Post Reality, Digital TV Studio, Grécia;
  • HMC, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Grécia.

Further readings:

Over time, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality technologies have evolved to a higher level, which allows for numerous applications in areas such as industry, for example.

Learn more about the history of augmented reality and its applicability.

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