VEnviC: Virtual Environments Cluster

The Virtual Environments Cluster is committed in promoting the wide range of inter-disciplinary research activities at CyI from uncovering hidden traces of the past to promoting the role of heritage in the future cities. It features state-of-the-art equipment, like 3D stereoscopic projectors; Oculus Rift stereoscopic goggles & Virtuix Omni treadmill.

Outcomes of the facility:

-       Immersive Real-Time 3D Virtual Environments for Education and Learning;

-       3D City Modeling & production of High Quality digital animations;

-       Interface design;

-       Human-Computer Interaction methodologies.

The close collaboration of NCSA and the Cyprus Institute in the development of CaSToRC as a national and regional center for computational science and the exploration of synergies with STARC in the domain of Cultural Heritage, has already resulted in the transfer of both knowledge and technology in scientific visualization. Examples of this collaboration have resulted in a CyI Virtual Environments cluster. The development of the project Real-time Immersive 3D Virtual Environments for Education and Learning (RIVEEL3D) is the pilot project pursued in the context of the aforementioned collaboration. RIVEEL3D aims to set out a vision for the development of hybrid digital environments that stage urban narratives to facilitate the study of the role of cultural heritage monuments in the daily experience of historic cities. The proposed research framework is implemented in close collaboration with the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and the Nicosia Municipality