Virtual Reality Technologies and Universal 3D Reconstruction Interface Development

The article summarizes the results of a two-year study of the issues related to the virtual reality and augmented reality technologies use to virtually reconstruct Moscow Bely Gorod in the 16th-18th centuries. The authors describe mathematical methods, software and hardware which grant access to the historical reconstruction of historical urban landscapes. An important feature of the reconstruction is the source verification module which was used to construct three-dimensional models of the landscape, buildings and the general scenery. The article names the basic principles which the verification module and its interface are based on and considers some optimum problems solved when constructing the interface. The project uses a hybrid motion tracking system as a combination of optical and inertial data. The archival sources used in the reconstruction process are presented in the virtual environment by means of a 3D graphical user interface for the virtual reality. The information displayed is generated from the database of historical sources which includes information about the urban development and individual buildings of Bely Gorod, their parts, location, purpose, owners and construction date. The database contains both text and graphic historical sources. The results obtained also include new algorithms, software and hardware systems as well as the experiment results.