Virtual & Augmented Reality representation. Experiencing the cultural heritage of a place.

Virtual reality and augmented reality are, nowadays one of the most powerful ways to represent in a 3-dimensional way non-existing objects in a physical environment. The mobile revolution and the introduction of wearable devices, such as Microsoft HoloLens, Google Card Board or the VR Oculus Rift, have made these technologies furthermore accessible. Exhibit design, museography, and historical studies seem to be one of the most promising fields of application. Besides, a volumetric representation, able to convey visual, spatial and sensorial aspects of artifacts, although virtual, could be worth to explore as a way to approach historical identity of a place. A digital representation overlaid on the physical environment is a way to discover its historical evolution and to experience its cultural heritage. The paper proposes, maps, compare different approaches, projects and best practices in the field, suggesting and discussing the role of VR/AR representation applied to landscape historical identity and evolution.