Spherical High Dynamic Range Virtual Reality for virtual tourism: Kellie's castle, Malaysia

Abstract

The study is focused on documenting the process and creating a prototype for a virtual tourism experience of Kellie's Castle in Malaysia. The castle is an incomplete construction of the residence of William Kellie Smith, a British rubber planter who commissioned it in the 1800s. It stands today as a cultural and historical tourism site, with background stories of Kellie's intention of wooing his wife to live in Malaysia (Malaya at that time) through elaborate architectural design, the loyalty of his plantation workers, and his untimely death during the final stages of construction. High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) photography was used to create a user-navigable view in a spherical virtual environment. Viewed in QuickTime, the immersive visual experience is enhanced with detailed luminance between the lightest and darkest areas and comes with zooming capability.