Linked Open Data as Universal Markers for Mobile Augmented Reality Applications in Cultural Heritage

Many projects have already analyzed the current limitations and challenges on the integration of the Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud in mobile augmented reality (MAR) applications for cultural heritage, and underline the future directions and capabilities. The majority of the above works relies on the detected geo-location of the user or his device by various sensors (GPS – global positioning system, accelerometer, camera, etc.) or geo-based linked data, while others use marker-based techniques to link various locations with labels and descriptions of specific geodata. But when it comes to indoor environments (museums, libraries) where tracking the accurate user’s position and orientation is challenging due to the lack of GPS valid sensor data, complex and costly technological systems need to be implemented for identifying user’s OoI (Object of Interest). This paper describes a concept which is based on image identification and matching between frames from the user’s camera and stored images from the Europeana platform, that can link the LOD cloud from cultural institutes around Europe and mobile augmented reality applications in cultural heritage without the need of the accurate user’s location, and discusses the challenges and future directions of this approach.