SiMon : Interactive software application for digital representation of the Bulgarian historical heritage on 42″ sensor screen

П Р О Е К Т И

Eng. Petar Atanasov was born in 1971 in Varna. Graduated in 2001 from Technical University, Varna, major Computer Engineering and Technology. Interested and involved in design and programming of multimedia and interactive software.
He has realized projects for touchscreen information kiosk - an interactive guide to the Varna Archaeological Museum and the National Archaeological Institute with Museum, BAS, Sofia.
Works and writes primarily in graphical interfaces and implementation, development and use of modern information technology in museums and galleries. Author of "MUSEUM - NEW MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
Computer systems administrator in the Regional Historical Museum, Varna

SENSOR INFORMATION KIOSK at the Varna Archaeological Museum. The sensor screen is the basic feature of the kiosk. The use of a sensor screen enables quick and convenient retrieval of the needed information even by people without computer competency...

P R O J E C T Bulgarian

Interactive software application for digital representation of the Bulgarian historical heritage on 42″ sensor screen

In the museum you watch, listen, touch…

Interactive software application for digital representation of the Bulgarian historical heritage on 42″ sensor screen. Specially developed for the multimedia hall of the “Panagyurishte Gold Treasure” exposition, where the famous nine Thracian vessels are shown – 63 years after their discovery.

see video

The information hall in the treasury is equipped with modern multimedia devices which assist the visitor in obtaining more detailed information about the Panagyurishte Gold Treasure, the discoverers, the donators and the executors of the project. In the hall the visitors can see the “road map of the treasure” which shows the more than 40 cities all over the world where the treasure has been exhibited.

The system employs a 42 ″ sensor display Elo 4200L. This is a unique system which combines the best image features with the leading sensor technologies. The display is dirt-proof and even when handled with unwashed hands it reacts accurately. The optic transparency of the front glass is very good. That is why the colors are vivid and saturated and the contrast is superb.

In order to make it completely interactive the system is supplied with a computer module. In this way the display turns into a “touch computer”. It has compact design and very good hardware parameters. Complementation is easy. There is a special slot on the rear side of the display where the module is inserted and it is used for implementation of all necessary connections ( USB, VGA, audio) to the display.

Presentation of the project:

This is the first time to try the linear model of interface for such a big sensor display with high resolution (42'' 1920 х 1080 pixels). Comprehensive function interactive application with unique design. And the integrated artificial intellect makes it completely ready to be used in the museum environment as public display for access to information.
This is the first time such a project has been implemented in Bulgaria.

Functions and design:
The main window of the application after starting it. Now and further there are two clearly distinguished areas.

• Fast buttons for access to concise text information for any item of the treasure, combined with its animated presentation. The user can pause the movement of the selected item at any time just by touching it. A repeated touch animates the item again. This provides an opportunity for detailed viewing of the artifacts.
• Book of mysteries, a centrally located button which opens the book of the Panagyurishte treasure. It consists of over 30 slide – pages with text which reveals the story of the treasure’s discovery, analysis of the scenes on the vessels and suggestions for their functions.

Amply illustrated with photos and details of the artifacts. Interactivity, capacity to add active and multimedia items within the book. The turning of the pages is smooth by horizontal movement of the slides (left and right).

Provided for a certain period of time the system remains unused there starts visualization on full screen of something like a screen saver. This is an animated combination of images in high resolution format. Its function is to present the application to the potential users who are standing by and are looking at the screen by informing them that they are in front of an interactive system and invites them to operate with it.

The Panagyurishte exhibition shows for the first time each vessel in a separate showcase.

This gives the visitor the opportunity to enjoy even the tiniest details and ornaments made by the ancient masters. The experts say that even the showcases are without analogue worldwide. The showcases are made from tempered glass and are designed and manufactured in Germany. They are cylinders sized 60 cm in diameter and 3.20 m in height. The treasury itself, alongside with the vestibule and the information hall are tiled in impressive variations of granite, Italian marble, tuff and the semi precious stone labradorite.

Dipl. En. P. Atanasov