The Bangudae cliff above the Daegokcheon Stream, in a panorama

Case study · Mixed reality · First place

Bringing the Bangudae petroglyphs indoors through mixed reality

The Bangudae and Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs line a cliff along Ulsan’s Daegokcheon Stream. Bangudae XR is a Meta Quest 3 mixed-reality application that brings the stream’s heritage, from the carvings to dinosaur footprints, into any indoor space.

First place3rd Korea Heritage Digital Contents Contest, 2024
From the exhibition film: the carved panel, reconstructed in 3D from photographs.
Role

Designer and developer, with Prof. KwanMyung Kim, UNIST Department of Design

Platform

Meta Quest 3 with passthrough mixed reality, built in Unreal Engine 5

Capture

Field photography, photogrammetry, 360° panoramas, AI-based Gaussian splatting with Luma AI

Recognition

First place, 3rd Korea Heritage Digital Contents Contest (2024)

Organizers

Korea Heritage Service and Korea National University of Heritage

Category

Development of digital heritage content through XR

On site, visitors view the carvings from across the stream, often through a viewing scope. The heritage is visible but physically inaccessible. The project uses mixed reality to bring it within arm’s reach.

Field documentation of the Daegokcheon Stream

Fieldwork documented the landscape, the rock surfaces and how visitors currently view the site.

The Daegokcheon Stream winding between green hills and rock ledges
The Daegokcheon Stream valley.
A viewing scope on a fence, its screen showing a magnified rock surface, with the cliff in the distance
A viewing scope aimed at the cliff across the water.
A black-and-cream reproduction mapping every carved figure on the rock panel
A reproduction that maps every carved figure on the panel.

3D capture with photogrammetry and Gaussian splatting

Photogrammetry converted rock surfaces into textured meshes; AI-based Gaussian splatting captured buildings and larger structures.

A photogrammetry reconstruction of a rock face shown three ways: a source photo, the textured model and the untextured mesh
A rock surface reconstructed with photogrammetry: source photo, textured model and mesh.
A second reconstruction of a carved panel with highlighted figures, shown textured and as a mesh
A carved panel, with figures highlighted, as texture and mesh.
A Gaussian-splat reconstruction of a curved stone wall
A stone structure reconstructed with Gaussian splatting in Luma AI.

Passthrough mixed reality for indoor heritage viewing

Passthrough keeps users anchored in their physical surroundings while the scanned artifacts are presented in front of them.

Captured in passthrough on Meta Quest 3: browsing the scanned artifacts with Previous, Home and Next.

Spatial grounding through passthrough

Passthrough maintains awareness of the physical room while the artifacts are displayed in front of the user.

Chronological sequence

Five scanned artifacts are presented in chronological order, from Mesozoic dinosaur footprints to the Joseon Dynasty, each with its title, era and description.

Minimal navigation

Navigation is limited to Previous, Home and Next, keeping the experience stable, easy to learn and easy to test.

A floating main menu with 3D Artifacts, 3D Environments, Panoramas, Gallery and Quit App buttons, over the passthrough view of an office

Main menu

A main menu with four content types

3D artifacts, 3D environments, panoramas and a photo gallery are accessed from a menu displayed over the room. The layout is extensible, so new sections and scans can be added as they become available.

A Gaussian-splat reconstruction of a traditional Korean gate and wall

Design decisions

Deliberately minimal interaction

The interface is limited to Previous, Home and Next to keep the experience stable and easy to test. Panoramas and a photo gallery let prospective visitors preview the site before visiting.

Outcome

First place, 3rd Korea Heritage Digital Contents Contest

The project received first place at the 3rd Korea Heritage Digital Contents Contest in 2024, organized by the Korea Heritage Service and the Korea National University of Heritage. Entries were assessed through a written preliminary round and an on-site final presentation.

Danyal presenting at a lectern on stage in front of a large screen
Final-round presentation.
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