With visitor numbers still recovering from the effects of the pandemic and accessibility a challenge at many museums, INVENTA has breathed new life into cultural heritage public services by opening them up to new and broader audiences. Delivered by the Italian ETT-Dedagroup with the support of LINKS FOUNDATION and ALPHA Consult, and funded by the European Space Agency’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS), INVENTA uses innovative technologies, including space data, to deliver immersive and engaging visitor experiences with inclusivity and sustainability at their core – with a novel application in the medical field too.
The services developed by INVENTA deliver interactive and immersive visitor experiences, including AR overlays that visitors can access on their mobile phones, geolocation services to improve accuracy and relevance of the displayed content, as well as remote 360° virtual exhibitions with multiplayer virtual visiting modes, enabling group visits and remote guided tours. On a practical level, the digital tools can be leveraged to optimise visitor flows and to improve accessibility to cultural heritage, while also enabling healthcare settings to offer remote cultural experiences to benefit patients.
Fully integrated cutting-edge technologies - Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), 5G networks, satellite connectivity and satellite navigation/positioning– are at the heart of the initiative, bringing cultural heritage experiences to new and more diverse audiences, while delivering economic benefits for museums.
“The cultural heritage sector needs to evolve with the times, as well as find ways to be more resilient in the face of accessibility challenges, exacerbated by events such as the pandemic,” explains Giorgio Genta, Contractor Project Manager at ETT S.p.A. – Dedagroup.
“Our digital solution responds to this need, enhancing content accessibility, interaction, and the sustainability of cultural institutions and sites. The support and funding from BASS have been invaluable in helping us get to where we are today, not least in relation to the space technology that underpins our service.”
“Nowadays digital technologies are giving rise to a new form of protection and enhancement of cultural heritage, which accessibility is no longer anchored to physical spaces, but expands to new, boundless horizons, free from spatial and temporal constraints. It is now up to us to make the most of this opportunity," adds Massimo Migliorini, Head of Extended Reality Lab at LINKS FOUNDATION.
The four key aims of the INVENTA project are to:
- enhance visitor experience: virtually transport visitors into the past, allowing them to explore historical reconstructions and interact with exhibits, including those that are in hidden collections.
- improve accessibility: provide remote interactive guides tailored for diverse audiences, including remote visitors and people with accessibility needs. These solutions ensure that cultural heritage remains inclusive and available to all.
- future-proof cultural sites: help cultural sites develop new revenue streams by offering premium and optimised digital experiences by offering ready-to-use, scalable solutions.
- strengthen crisis preparedness: equip institutions with a robust digital presence that ensures continued visitor engagement during potential future disruptions, such as the pandemic.
While there are existing digital solutions for cultural institutions using some of the technologies, such as AR, VR or geolocation-based services, INVENTA differentiates itself by providing a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates them all together with a Content Management System (CMS) and a mobile app.
Museums involved in the pilot – including Doge’s Palace in Genova and the Museum of Oriental Arts in Turin – have reported positive feedback from visitors trialling the app. Doge’s Palace has since become a paying customer for the service.
“This achievement is a key goal and represents real commercial success for the INVENTA initiative, confirming its technical and economic viability and long-term sustainability,” says Claudia Maltoni, Senior Project Manager at ALPHA Consult and leader of the INVENTA business plan.
In addition to museums, the service was also tested in a hospital environment with patients in neuro-rehabilitation recovering from spinal surgery. The pioneering use of VR-based stimulation, for example offering patients immersive 360° video experiences from the Zoom biopark in Turin, opens new avenues for therapy and cognitive rehabilitation activities.
“INVENTA exemplifies the broad spectrum of business cases that BASS supports, demonstrating how space-enabled innovation can generate meaningful socio-economic impact,” says Davide Coppola, Head of the Space Applications Initiatives Section.
“By leveraging advanced space technologies, companies can significantly enhance and differentiate their service offerings. In this particular case, Earth observation satellites and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) play a pivotal role - providing high-resolution aerial imagery of monuments and cultural heritage sites, while enabling precise positioning services that enrich the visitor experience.”