Rome Reborn

Virginia.edu: Rome Reborn

The art and technology of computer visualization is changing our whole human experience. Human consciousness is going to have to transcend itself simply to keep up with the tidal wave of visual and virtual information being produced around the globe.

One thing I really enjoy is reconstructions or visualizations of ancient architecture, art, & tech. The "Engineering an Empire" series is great because of the detail and accuracy produced. I saw that there is a project called 'Rome Reborn' by the University of Virginia that maps the layout and architecture of ancient Rome. The great thing about this work is that it will be built upon. The level of detail will improve, life such as plants, pets, and citizens added, more realistic shading, etc.

I've always dreamed of a system in which a pair of glasses could be worn that impose a virtual historical representation of the place you are at. So if you were in Rome, a super detailed version of the ancient version of the city would appear in the shades and allow you to be immersed in the environment. Perhaps the tiny, powerful, & networked computer of the near future could even impose ancient 3D representations of the actual people around you into the image, to prevent you from bumping into someone!

It's encouraging to see such amazing work being done that fuses boundaries between art, history, technology, and archeology.

Wired.com: 'Rome Reborn' Model Pushes Frontiers of 3-D Simulation

BBC.com: Ancient Rome Brought Back to Life