All you need is a smartphone now to « dive » onto this wreck that sank off Saint-Malo (35) just 100 years ago.
The Adramar association (association for the development of research in underwater archaeology) is behind this 3D modeling project of the cargo ship. Set to disappear due to corrosion, archaeologists suggested creating a virtual reality tour to preserve a record of this submerged heritage.
To achieve this complete modeling of the 56-meter ship, over two years, more than 20,000 images were taken by divers. The computer processing of the images then managed to recreate the entire wreck, its exact dimensions, and volumes. This technique is called photogrammetric recording. It took 44 hours of diving and the work of 6 people to achieve this result.
With your smartphone in hand or in front of your eyes thanks to the use of a virtual reality headset, you can explore this wreck via different modes:
- Guided tour: to discover the wreck with commentary telling you its history.
- Walk: to visit the site freely in the role of a heavy-footed diver.
- Fly: to explore the ship and immerse yourself like a diver.
- Augmented reality: to view the 3D model of the wreck by scanning the map below with the application.
During your exploration, as if you were really there, you encounter the local marine fauna. You can learn more about the ship and its sinking thanks to points of interest. During the virtual tour, you have the opportunity to see photos of the wreck located along your route. Finally, archaeological objects discovered by Adramar are also presented to you.
Experience this virtual dive on the Fetlar, at a depth of 26 meters, and perhaps some of you will then want to set out to discover it with fins on your feet…
The application is already available on Google Play. It will soon be available on the App Store.