Augmented reality application for the preservation of cultural heritage: The case of the Ottoman galley from the Suleiman I period

Abstract

Technological developments have led each discipline to produce new terms and techniques, providing different opportunities. Alongside virtual reality, hologram technology, and mixed reality, “augmented reality” has become a method frequently encountered in everyday life and an effective technological tool that can be applied to various fields. This technology combines the physical environment with the multiple media created on a computer. Consisting of 3D images, videos, and animations and offering audio narration, augmented reality has increased its importance in transmitting cultural heritage to future generations. The artefacts can be re-examined with augmented reality technology, and the necessary information can be obtained verbally and in writing. This study aims to create an augmented reality application to display an Ottoman galley whose physical remains have not survived to this day. This study uses the marker-based method for application to work on different mobile devices. This study has the importance of being the first study to create and display a 3D model of this galley. It also shows that the augmented reality application can make artefacts more perceptible and exciting and offers a new and technological alternative for displaying such artefacts.