# The Usage of Virtual and Augmented Reality in Underwater Archeology
## 5 Use of Augmented and Virtual Reality in Underwater Archeology--Example Solutions
### Re-Discovering Project--Vrouw Maria  
Re-discovering Vrouw Maria is a gesture-based, interactive VR simulation that allows visitors to explore a cultural heritage site and underwater archaeological site, the wreck of Vrouw Maria [106]. Vrouw Maria is a Dutch cargo ship from the 17 th century that sank off the coast of Finland, near Nauvo, in 1771 on its way to St. Petersburg [14; 106]. It was rediscovered in 1999, at a depth of 41 m near the coast of Finland [14; 106]. Its state of preservation is assessed as very good due to the conditions in the Baltic Sea [106]. Apart from the depth, the second factor that makes access to the wreck difficult for the general public is its location in a nature reserve. The developed site is a VR representation of the wreck, which is still located at the site of the sinking [14].  
The project related to the development of the virtual site was carried out in the years 2009-2012 by the Department of Media at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the Maritime Archeology Unit operating within the National Board of Antiquities of Finland [106]. The result of the work was an application using VR developed in April 2012, which presented a museum object at the Maritime Museum of Finland in Kotka, Finland. The application has an intuitive interface that was based on simple human gestures and actions thanks to the use of a motion sensor--the Microsoft Kinect sensor and gesture recognition technologies--which was an innovative solution at that time. The application allows real-time simulations to be performed in a virtual 3D environment, without any additional hardware required from the user [106].  
The developed application presents the Vrouw Maria wreck on a stereoscopic large screen with a surround sound system. At the beginning of the simulation, visitors can watch a short animated sequence presenting historical information about the object and the probable events that led to its sinking [106]. Next, the user goes to VR, where he can move in 3D in the underwater landscape. Visitors can also gain knowledge about various aspects of the area through information points in the surroundings [106]. All this results in a significantly better and more complete perception of the archaeological site, which, thanks to virtual reconstruction, ensures the greater involvement of the recipient and a more interesting presentation in a museum setting [14].  
In the created application, the main area of interest is the wreck, including the recreated one in the virtual environment, the deck, and two holds, which are accessible through small hatches on the deck. Users can explore both the external environment and the interior of the wreck, including the holds and the kitchen, as well as the underwater landscape around the wreck, including natural habitats, i.e., schools of several species of fish, colonies of edible mussels and algae typical of the Baltic Sea [106]. The exterior of the wreck model was created based on a laser-scanned physical model of the wreck. The interior of the wreck is modeled in 3D, based on technical drawings and photos; records from multi-beamsonar scanning were used to recreate the underwater landscape [106]. The above activities were intended to provide a holistic image of the site and its surroundings in the form of designing the so-called immersive installation [14].