Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality are important topics of the present and future. International experts recently came together to discuss the opportunities and possibilities of Mixed Reality at the virtual event XChange Reality! organised by the OpenGLAM initiative and the St. Pölten UAS. Within the framework of this event, an interdisciplinary conference and the third edition of the OpenGLAM cultural hackathon took place.

You missed a conference session? All contributions are available here. 

Diverse Contributions

Digital collaboration and innovation as well as the expansion of reality through technologies such as Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality are important topics of today and of the future. The participants were given the opportunity to either participate in the scientific lectures in an interactive manner in discussion groups via Zoom or to simply follow the presentations via livestream on YouTube. The conference contributions were submitted in advance and reviewed by experts.

“We were thrilled with the diverse contributions and the wide range of topics. This shows how many different areas are influenced by Mixed Reality”, says Thomas Moser, co-organiser of the event and research group head at the Institute of Creative\Media/Technologies of the St. PöltenUAS.

Interdisciplinary Research Approach

The interdisciplinary conference and the hackathon focused on the use of Mixed Reality for the environment, regional development, architecture, tourism and art as well as for the industry and healthcare. Technical aspects such as software development and application in the area of museums and theatres were also dealt with. The event was rounded off with a keynote speech by Peter Bell & Jaqueline Klusik-Eckert from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg on the international project “Time Machine Europe”.

“The XChange Reality! enabled us to show that the range of possible uses of Mixed Reality and open data is very broad. The presentation of current research results and the virtual exchange with numerous international experts serve as inspiration for further projects”, says Franziska Bruckner, co-organiser of the event and research group head at the Institute of Creative\Media/Technologies of the St. Pölten UAS.

Data from Cultural Heritage

The third edition of the OpenGLAM cultural hackathon also took place within the context of the XChange Reality! event. The hackathon is part of an international network and strives for the further development of the Austrian cultural landscape with the objective of staying visible in a digital age and making a contribution. The participants of the hackathon were invited to experiment with data from the cultural heritage, to develop projects as well as to design and implement concepts – supported by Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality techniques. Due to the online format, many participants from all over Europe were able to exchange ideas with Austrian players and spend three days working towards a better future.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The hackathon was successful and resulted in six project concepts and first prototypes. The 40 participants developed projects in the fields of virtual museums, archives, second-screen gaming and cultural heritage audio. At the same time, the OpenGLAM community grew considerably and the interdisciplinary collaboration was strengthened at the international level.

“The cultural heritage creates essential connections between individuals. The practice of the cultural hackathon makes these connections come to life in every project whereby cooperation stays the key to success in the digital age”, explains Sylvia Petrovic-Majer, co-organiser of the event and community coordinator of the Austrian chapter of OpenGLAM.at.

XChange Reality! carries on: there will be a demo & poster day in autumn 2020 and the next edition of the cultural hackathon is already in the planning phase. More information is available at openglam.at.

• XChange Reality
• OpenGLAM