New Delhi iHub Drishti, a technology innovation center of the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, is developing two augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) platforms for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
“ASI wants us to build a digital museum using AR and VR. The services will have a sports-based platform to attract the interest of the younger generation in archaeology,” Amit Bhardwaj, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT-Jodhpur, said in an interview.
ASI, a government agency under the Ministry of Culture, is involved in archaeological research and expeditions, and is responsible for the conservation of monuments and the maintenance of museums. While its main function is to protect historical sites, it has also ventured into VR technologies.
In April 2020, ASI partnered with Google’s Department of Arts and Culture to provide an immersive VR experience at five historical sites including the Taj Mahal in Agra, Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Maharashtra and Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh . It is available on the Google Arts & Culture app and can be viewed on a smartphone using a Google Cardboard VR headset.
According to Bhardwaj, the AR and VR experiences being developed by IIT Jodhpur will be more advanced. The game-based platform will help users to learn about historical excavation sites and monuments. However, he did not share the names of the monuments that would be included.
Kurush Dalal, former Professor of Archaeology, University of Mumbai, and Director, School of Archaeology, India Student Center Trust, said the platforms can significantly increase interest in lesser-known historical and archaeological artifacts in India. “ASI has conducted some of the largest excavations in history, but the findings of some of these projects could never be displayed in the museum due to space constraints. Having a specially built VR museum to showcase ASI’s achievements Historical objects may emerge that have never been seen before.”
According to Manas Bairagi, chief executive of Hub Drishti, the government has initiated several projects to promote animation, visual effects, gaming and comics to help AR-VR developers find jobs.
“The global market for AR, VR and MR products is currently around $30 billion, and is set to grow 10 times, by 2024. India’s AR/VR market is currently worth around $1.8 billion,” Bairagi said. and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40%.