A team of students from Hangzhou Normal University in east China's Zhejiang Province used virtual reality (VR) technology to make museum visits online and created immersive cultural experiences for the wider audience.
The "Love Museums" team, under the technical guidance of Associate Professor Xie Shanjuan from the School of Information Science and Technology, created digital exhibitions that enhance the appreciation of historical artifacts and bridge the gap between technology and culture.
"Zhejiang has a rich historical and cultural heritage, with many museums. But daily visitor numbers are very low. It's a pity, as they're great resources," said Xie.
The team conducted field investigations and employed AI and 3D technology to build a digital museum for the She Museum in Eshan Town. This not only recreates existing exhibits but also expands upon them with interactive elements, such as a virtual hanfu fitting room.
"Virtually recreating this requires a deep understanding of the She ethnic customs, to ensure that the information is accurate. This process of creation has given me a deeper understanding of their customs," said He Yijia, a student.
The project provides students with valuable experience in digital technology skills, including photography, coding, and 3D modeling.
"In modern society, how to achieve sustainable development of sciences and the humanities is a big topic. Humanities nurture sciences, which then help to enhance impact of the humanities," she added.
"The (virtual) museums we've accomplished include the granary museum, a village museum. We hope to continue using our technology in dissemination of culture. Our current goal is to gain more knowledge about China and create contemporary glories," said Xie Shanjuan.
College students bring museums to life with VR
Multiple departments, in close collaboration, have tested the supporting facilities and the services in a test skiing competition for the upcoming 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to ensure the smooth holding of the event.
The cross-country skiing test competition was held in the past two days at the Yabuli Ski Resort in Harbin.
Close to the track for the test competition, meteorological support staff of the event held portable six-element automatic weather instruments to monitor the meteorological indicators of the competition venue in real time.
"This equipment can display the temperature, wind direction, wind speed, air pressure and other related factors in the stadium in real time. Combining these data with the meteorological factors collected real-time by the fixed meteorological station built by our meteorological department in the early stage, we can report to the forecast department of our meteorological system to make a more accurate assessment of the meteorological service guarantee for the on-site competition," said Wang Peng, a meteorological support staff member.
Snow sports such as skiing and cross-country skiing are outdoor competitions and are significantly affected by weather factors. For the Asian Winter Games, Harbin has built multiple weather radars, and 117 sets of meteorological observation equipment including 37 sets in the Yabuli competition area. The organizers also introduced advanced technology and algorithms to build a "minute-level, 100-meter-level" grid monitoring and forecasting system to minimize the impact of weather factors.
During the test, the on-site medical team also paid close attention to the situation on the field and made full preparations for any conditions.
"As we know, medical risks are more likely to occur on ice and snow sports, especially on snow. So in terms of medical support, we are stepping up our efforts in this area. We have deployed our corresponding medical officers and medical managers on each racing track, as well as ski doctors and patrol members who will work together to ensure the safe running of this Asian Winter Games," said Wang Guangzhi, member of the event's medical team and vice president of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.
"At present, the Asian Winter Games Medical and Health Security Center has selected 31 designated hospitals to open green channels and reserve 1,654 beds for 14 categories of treatment, including orthopedics, thoracic surgery, and neurology. We prepared to build 98 medical clinics and stations of various types, and a total of 588 medical personnel have been deployed to various venues. We have conducted more than 70 comprehensive drills in collaboration with other departments, covering injury treatment, transportation of the injured, public health incident handling, and helicopter coordinated rescue," said Luan Feng, commander of the medical and health command center of the 9th Asian Winter Games.
The 9th Asian Winter Games will be held from Feb 7 to 14 in Harbin, reputed as the "Ice City" of China for its extra-low temperatures in winter and the annual tradition of displaying extravagant ice sculptures.
Over the course of the 12 competition days, athletes from various Asian countries and regions will compete in six major events, 11 sub-events, and 64 disciplines.
Supportive facilities, teams tested to ensure smooth Asian Winter Games
