Survey Data Integration for Enhanced Cultural Heritage Dissemination and Analysis through Virtual Reality

The preservation and dissemination of Cultural Heritage (CH) in the digital era demand innovative approaches that transcend traditional documentation. This article presents a complete workflow for creating semantically enriched and immersive digital experiences of CH artifacts. We detail a methodology that integrates multi-modal survey data—specifically, high-resolution photogrammetry, laser scanning, and diagnostic thermography—to generate a comprehensive 3D digital twin of historical objects. The process addresses key challenges in data acquisition, such as environmental constraints and object fragility, through a robust data fusion pipeline. A critical component of this pipeline is a score-based point cloud denoising algorithm that significantly improves the geometric accuracy of the final model. The integrated and processed 3D model is then deployed within a Virtual Reality (VR) environment developed in Unreal Engine. This VR application allows users to engage with the artifact in an interactive, immersive, and informative manner, offering access to its geometry, texture, and underlying diagnostic data. Using wooden furniture from the Royal Palace of Caserta as a case study, we demonstrate that this integrated approach not only enhances public engagement and educational value but also provides a powerful analytical tool for conservators and researchers.