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Virtual Campus

Virtual Campus

The University of Cologne in Virtual Reality

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Keywords of the Virtual Campus project: VR and AR Technology, 3D Modelling, Indoor Navigation

Project Overview and Goals

The Virtual Campus project explores how augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) technologies can be used at the University of Cologne to enhance education, teaching, and daily campus life. As part of this effort, the project is developing 3D building models and several AR and VR applications.

We are developing a mobile AR app to assist with navigation on campus. It will provide a first-person navigation experience through AR overlays in both outdoor and indoor spaces. Additionally, the app will display location-based information about services and resources available. This app will complement the university’s new campus map (CampusGIS2).

The created 3D building models, which also include interiors, serve as the basis for locating mobile devices indoors, enabling navigation in these areas as well. Research and development work is being conducted within the project to enhance indoor localization. At the same time, the project is gradually adding new 3D building models to the 3D view of the new campus map, allowing the campus to take shape as a virtual model.

Part of the applications will initially focus on the University and City Library (UCL). An AR tour through the UCL guides users to key locations in the building and illustrates, for example, how to use the book return machines. In the realm of VR, a virtual 360° tour of the ULC allows users to explore the building and its important areas from home, helping them prepare for a visit. Both tours will provide explanations and location-based information.

The CAVE at the Computing Center allows multiple users to enter and interact with a virtual model. We simplify this by making it possible to directly access 3D models from the existing Kompakkt database within the CAVE. This enhancement promotes the use of VR in research and teaching.

All outputs of the project are examples that demonstrate their practicality within the university. Detailed documentation will allow for the expansion of the developed methods or their adaptation to other areas after the project concludes.

Courses are offered to teach students about the project's content and methods, allowing them to share valuable insights and ideas in return.

Project Duration

1 April 2023 – 30 September 2026

The Virtual Campus project is funded by Quality Improvement in Education (QVM) resources.

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Preview Image of the AR App

Applications

The Virtual Campus project is developing several applications designed to help students, faculty, and visitors navigate the University of Cologne campus more easily. The project utilises augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies and the project is also creating 3D models of buildings at the University of Cologne.

Mobile AR App

Available for Android and iOS, based on Flutter and Unity

  • Helps answer questions like “Where is my lecture?” or “Which library has my book?”
  • AR-based indoor and outdoor navigation on campus
  • Provides information on buildings and services
  • Interactive campus tours for new and international students

AR Tours of the University and City Library

Integrated into the mobile AR app

  • Interactive tours available in multiple languages
  • Explore the UCL independently with guidance on all services and resources
  • Prototype for developing future tours

CAVE Kompakkt Viewer

Built on Unreal Engine

  • Connecting the 3D Kompakkt Viewer to the CAVE for easier access
  • Interacting with annotated 3D models in both the browser and the CAVE

Virtual 360° Tour of the UCL

Web application

  • Visitor information and preparation for library visits
  • Learn about the layout and services of the UCL
  • Guidance on available services and resources

A link to the latest prototype of the UCL 360° tour will be available soon.

3D View for the CampusGIS2 Map

Web application based on CesiumJS

  • Enhancement of the 2D campus map with 3D building models
  • Improving orientation in the indoor navigation system by displaying routes in the 3D model

The latest prototype of the 3D map view is available here.

3D Building Models of the University of Cologne

  • 3D models of key campus buildings, including their interiors
  • Serves as a basis for displaying AR content and future applications, as well as supporting indoor navigation

Teaching and Courses

‘Virtual Campus’ Course

As part of the Virtual Campus project, the Geography Institute and the Institute for Digital Humanities are offering an interdisciplinary course for master’s students in both fields. The course covers digital 3D modelling, virtual reality, and augmented reality through hands-on projects focused on the university campus. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop their own ideas and enhance their practical skills.

For more information on course content and registration, click here (in German).

 

Theses

If you are interested in pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s thesis on topics related to the Virtual Campus project in fields like Geography, Digital Humanities, or Media Informatics, do not hesitate to get in touch. Our project members are here to offer guidance and discuss potential topics with you.
Project-related theses may focus on areas such as GIS, digital maps, navigation, localization, 3D modelling, 3D reconstruction, augmented reality, virtual reality, and gamification.

Publications and Public Outreach

Conference Contributions

Eide, Øyvind. „Research and Education – Most Impactful Together“. Presentation, Coimbra Group Annual Conference and General Assembly 2024, Turku (Finland), 5 June 2024.

Eide, Øyvind. „How can you play this object? 3D modelling and VR as tools for documenting and preserving processes afforded by performance objects“, Presentation, Heritage Working Group der Coimbra Group, Seminar „Conservation and preservation of university heritage – University collections, archives, libraries, built and immaterial heritage – against sustainable development goals“, 1 September 2023, Granada (Spain).

Eide, Øyvind, Kai Michael Niebes, Nadjim Noori, Vyshantha Simha, and Elisabeth Reuhl. „3D Annotations as Multimodal Storytelling“. Presentation, Reimagining Annotation for Multimodal Cultural Heritage, Rennes (France), 9 February 2024. (Abstract)

Pietsch, Anne-Kathrin, Elisabeth Reuhl, Philip Schildkamp, Vera Malieske, Vyshantha Simha, and Øyvind Eide. „The university campus as a physical and cultural space: Developing geospatial applications augmenting reality“. Proceedings of the 13th Conference of Japanese Association for Digital Humanities (18 September 2024): 54–56.
The paper was presented by Anne-Kathrin Pietsch at JADH 2024, Tokyo (Japan), 20 September 2024.

Reuhl, Elisabeth. „Ideas for a layered data model for an AR tours app based on CIDOC CRM and geodata“, Presentation, 58th joint meeting of the CIDOC CRM SIG and ISO/TC46/SC4/WG9, 20 March 2024, Paris (France). (Slides)

Sotomayor Chicote, Maria and Øyvind Eide. „The lost Brutalist narratives. Re-creating modernist architectural meaning through Augmented Reality“. Forthcoming.
The paper will be presented by Maria Sotomayor Chicote at EuroMed 2024, Limassol (Cyprus), 2-4 December 2024.

Willmes, Christian, Lorenzo Canals, Christopher Ganser, Dirk Mennecke, Finn Luis Phillipps, Anne-Kathrin Pietsch, Tim Reichenau, Elisabeth Reuhl, Philip Schildkamp, Maximilian Stempel, Daniel Wickeroth, Jan Wieners, and Øyvind Eide. „The Technology Stack and System Architecture of the University of Cologne Virtual Campus“. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XLVIII-4/W11-2024 (27 June 2024): 153–60. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-xlviii-4-w11-2024-153-2024.
The paper was presented by Christian Willmes at 3DGeoInfo, Vigo (Spain), 1 July 2024.

 

Presentations at the University of Cologne

IDH Research Seminar, 24 October 2023: “Virtual Campus – The University of Cologne in Virtual Reality” presented by Øyvind Eide

RRZK Interview Series: ‘For a Cookie with...’, 22 April 2024: Tim Reichenau Talks About CampusGIS2 and Virtual Campus (interview, in German)

DHCon 2024, 7 May 2024: Poster presentation on the Virtual Campus by Elisabeth Reuhl and Lukas Sept (poster, in German).

DHCon 2024, 7 May 2024: Poster displaying student project results from the ‘3D Geoinformatics’ course, Winter Semester 2023/24, by students from the Geography and Digital Humanities Institutes (in German).

Inclusion Day of Diversity Week, 2 June 2024: Information booth on CampusGIS2 and the Virtual Campus presented by Tim Reichenau (in German).

Coffee Lectures at the UCL, 13 June 2024: Presentation titled ‘QVM Project: Virtual Campus – UCL Meets Research’ by Lorenzo Canals (slides and video recording, in German).

Project Team and Contact Information

Project Coordination

  • Dr. Daniel Kramp (Project Leadership, Center for Teacher Education)
  • Dr. Tim Reichenau (Project Management, Geography Institute)
  • Elisabeth Reuhl (Project Management, Institute for Digital Humanities)

Project Leads by Department

  • Dr. Tim Reichenau (Geography Institute)
  • Dr. Christian Willmes (Geography Institute)
  • Prof. Dr. Øyvind Eide (Institute for Digital Humanities)
  • Elisabeth Reuhl (Institute for Digital Humanities)
  • Daniel Wickeroth (IT Center Cologne)
  • Tobias Rebholz (University and City Library)
  • Dr. Gabriele Schwiertz (University and City Library)
  • Dr. Daniel Kramp (Center for Teacher Education)
  • Dr. Jan Wieners (Center for Teacher Education)

Budget Committee

  • Prof. Dr. Georg Bareth (Geography Institute)
  • Prof. Dr. Øyvind Eide (Institute for Digital Humanities)
  • Prof. Dr. Stefan Wesner (IT Center Cologne)
  • Dr. Hubertus Neuhausen (University and City Library)

Contact Information

For questions or feedback, please reach out to the project team at:

Email: virtueller-campus-teamSpamProtectionuni-koeln.de

Team

Former Team Members

Catherine Acquah (Geography Institute)
Linus Betzler (Geography Institute)
Senem Celik (University and City Library)
Erhan Gürleyik (University and City Library)
Dirk Mennecke (Geography Institute)
Florian Meul (University and City Library)
Anne-Kathrin Pietsch (Institute for Digital Humanities)
Daniel Ribeiro Camelo (IT Center Cologne)
Valentin Sorg (Geography Institute)
Ibrahim Tuna (Institute for Digital Humanities)
Max Wieck (Geography Institute)
Emily Winter (Geography Institute)