How can real locations be accurately captured digitally and made accessible? With this question in mind and the idea of a possible collaboration, Maria del Carmen Fernandez Mendez, Head of Transport Affairs, and Andre Fischer from the Ministry of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia visited KreativInstitut.OWL at the Kreativ Campus Detmold.
During the tour of the studios and laboratories, current projects were presented, including an immersive multimedia artwork in virtual space and a specially developed virtual reality game. Both applications show how real locations can be digitally captured using photogrammetry and 3D scanners and made accessible as interactive, walk-through environments.
One focus of the discussion was on the process known as Gaussian splatting. Using the digital capture of the Detmold Open Air Museum as an example, it was explained how physical locations can be precisely documented and permanently archived. Against this backdrop, the discussion turned to how this technology can also be applied to the digital preservation and visualization of accident sites. This would allow complex traffic situations to be captured in three dimensions and made accessible for analysis or court proceedings in order to present spatial conditions in a comprehensible manner.
In addition, discussions were held on how traffic-related data can be communicated more clearly. As part of a joint media project, consideration is being given to how accident statistics and safety-related key figures can be presented in an appealing visual format – from infographics and interactive visualizations to media-friendly formats for press conferences, online platforms, or public events. This allows students to apply their design expertise directly to practical issues.
