Cultural Heritage in Marker-Less Augmented Reality: A Survey

*Hoshang Kolivand, Abdennour El Rhalibi, Mostafa Tajdini, Sarmad Abdulazeez and Pisit Praiwattana*

### **Abstract**

Augmented reality (AR) is considered as one of the most significant technologies in the field of computer graphics and is utilised in many applications. In this chapter, we have presented a brief comprehensive survey of cultural heritage using augmented reality systems. This survey describes the main objectives and characteristics of marker-less augmented reality systems through presenting up-to-date research results in this area. We describe the marker-less technologies in the area of AR, indoor marker-less AR, outdoor marker-less AR, real-time solutions to the tracking problem, real-time registration, cultural heritage in AR, 3D remonstration techniques, as well as presenting the problems in each research.

**Keywords:** virtual heritage, culture heritage, augmented reality, marker-less AR, AR heritage

### **1. Introduction**

Augmented reality is a technology in which user's view of a real scene is augmented with extra virtual information. Augmented reality (AR) registration of virtual objects is required having an accurate tracking or camera pose estimation, but tracking is one of the key technical challenges of AR system [1]. AR has many conceivable applications in a wide range of fields such as education, construction, public health, manufacturing and entertainment. With the increased computational speed and advancement of particular computer technology, augmented reality applications become possible in multidisciplinary fields, for example, education, simulation, entertainment, medical and games. Researches related to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have shown significant growth with the development of interactive computer technology and sophisticated 3D modelling packages [2]. Virtual heritage is considered one of the important fields in the computer-based interactive technologies in virtual reality [3]. It created visual representation of monument, artefacts, building and culture to present openly to global audiences. However, virtual heritage becomes as a platform for promoting the education process, motivating and understanding particular events and historical elements for the use of students and researchers. Augmented reality techniques can be classified into two main categories: vision-based AR and location-based AR [4, 5]. Location-based AR uses the capability of a specific device to determine its position in the world, for example, GPS and then the retrieval relevant information to that location. Then, this information is superimposed into

the output of their device's camera to permit a more natural data presentation compared only using the map alone. Vision-based AR particularly depends on processing the data that is extracted from the images or video frames that have been taken by the device. This kind of AR includes a number of techniques that lend significantly from computer vision to the range, where research progress in AR relies on the progress of the latter [6]. Lately, augmented reality technology has become an accepted technology among scientific community and even public, which is used for merging of real and virtual objects, and mixed it into the real-world environment. However, this technology is used in virtual heritage to improve the visitor experience of a cultural heritage site, as well as, the possibility to present the ancient-ruined building without any damage. In this chapter, we have presented a survey of marker-less AR. This survey is based on the state-of-the-art related to marker-less AR such as indoor marker-less AR, outdoor marker-less AR, real-time solutions to the tracking problem, real-time registration and cultural heritage in AR. Section 3 introduces the marker-based AR and Section 4 is allocated to marker-less AR, while Section 5 presents the researches related to cultural heritage in augmented reality.

Section 6 reveals the issues with virtual heritage in augmented reality and Section 7 presents 3D reconstruction techniques for cultural heritage. Section 8 is all about location in AR. The work is concluded by section 9 which is the conclusion.
