NU collaborating to create Virtual Vimy Ridge
Nipissing’s Computer Science and Mathematics Department and the Military Communications and Electronics Museum in Kingston, Ontario, are developing a virtual exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Focused specifically on the Canadian Signal Corps, Virtual Vimy Ridge is an interdisciplinary project intended to disseminate knowledge of this important event in Canadian history to the public. The exhibit consists of an interactive globe highlighting the geographic area of the famous battle, featuring maps, digital documents, and 3D models allowing users to experience the landscape and terrain just as the Signal Corps would have experienced them in 1917.
Using advanced image processing techniques, 3D trenches are generated from photographs and hand-drawn 1917 maps of the area, and integrated into the terrain. The objectives described by the map of the plan of attack are visualized as a front line that can be animated by interacting with a timeline. Users can also overlay maps atop the current landscape to visualize how the area has changed over time. Artifacts such as photographs, diaries, logs and more, can be viewed by selecting a model placed on the globe at a related geographic location. The development team plans to integrate these items into a system that will be simple to use, intuitive and visually captivating.
The Virtual Vimy Ridge project is funded by the Military Communications and Electronics Museum.
The work is part of Nipissing’s ongoing contributions to the digital humanities, which also includes Ancient History GeoVisage (Department of Classical Studies), and to interactive geospatial research with GeoVisage (Department of Geography). The team is led by Dr. Mark Wachowiak and Dr. Renata Wachowiak-Smolikova of Nipissing University, and Mr. David McCarey, Education Coordinator at the Military Communications and Electronics Museum. Nipissing Computer Science students Mitchell Timson, David DuVal, and Tsering Singhe are the software developers.