Project VISAS: Virtual and augmented exploitation of submerged archaeological sites--Overview and first results

VISAS (Virtual and Augmented Exploitation of Submerged Archaeological Sites) is a collaborative research project created to improve the responsible and sustainable exploitation of underwater archaeological sites. This strategic goal is reached through the development of three services. The first concerns the 3-D reconstruction of the underwater environment by using a methodology for optical and acoustic bathymetric data fusion. The second is based on a virtual reality system for dive session planning and 3-D exploration of the underwater site. Finally, the third service is intended to enrich the diving experience through a virtual guide running on an underwater tablet equipped with a hybrid tracking system. This paper provides a summary report of the project and an overview of the partial results achieved.