Optimising 3D interactive exploration of open virtual environments on web, using mobile devices

Thanks to the last decade’s achievements with the help of digital technologies it is possible to produce high-quality replicas of cultural heritage. At the same time, the Webspace represents a great opportunity to create interactively, multi-user, immersive 3D applications for the Cultural Heritage sector that allow not only to distribute and present models, but also to interrogate them through immersive inspection and interaction tools, such as Virtual Reality experiences. However, this interesting resource introduces additional challenges in addition to common problems and limitations typically encountered in this context. Art and culture should be accessible to all, taking advantage of open platforms easily accessible to both casual users and experts in the field. Furthermore, it is necessary that any device can use the Web3D applications designated for this purpose, automatically adapting the interface, rendering and interaction models, and obtaining a single product. This paper describes a framework, evaluated through the case study, for the development of a completely free visualization mode, returning a scalable, flexible and modular solution, scanned based on the user’s needs and on the object to be visualized, providing advanced functionalities in terms of 3D presentation, annotation, immersive interaction and real-time collaboration.