One of our student’s final year project at the School of Computing and Mathematics allowed us to experiment with 360 photography for heritage environments. The project was done in Collaboration with the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.

The project involved investigating how 360 photography could support recording heritage environments both outdoors and indoors. Hence, the student, Tobia Wurz, digitised  various environment including a roundhouse (both indoors and outdoors) as well as the Astoria Cinema.

The Astoria presented an interesting case, as the theatre was about to be demolished short after we were given access in January 2018.

The student used a camera rig with GoPro HERO digital cameras to record 3 different scenes within the theatre. We selected three areas of interest: two inside the theatre and one in what previously was a restaurant or dining area. In each of this, 360 images were taken using the rig setup as shown in the images bellow. The student processed the imagery taken on the day and produced immersive environments which can be experienced using a VR headset, such as an Oculus Rift.

The project outcomes showed an interesting alternative for recording heritage environments for VR experiences which can be easily produced in comparison with other more costly 3D environments.