Digitalising Acoustic Data: An Extended Reality Framework for the Visualisation of Simulated Sound Dispersion in the Ancient Roman Theatre of Palmyra

Acoustic reconstruction is crucial for understanding the functional and historical identity of heritage spaces, as it enables the analysis and representation of their acoustic behaviour. Many historical environments, especially performance and religious spaces, were designed with acoustic considerations in mind, making their sonic features a key aspect of their heritage significance. However, such complex acoustic dynamics are not adequately captured by traditional documentation methods, such as drawings and digital surveys, including photogrammetry and laser scanning. [1].

Recent trends in archaeoacoustics have used immersive technologies to represent and analyse acoustic phenomena within historical environments [2]. While high-fidelity acoustic simulations can capture detailed acoustic data, communicating these complex spatial characteristics to stakeholders remains a challenge.

This study contributes to the digitisation of Non-destructive Testing (NDT) data by proposing a stakeholder-centred extended reality (XR) framework for visualising and communicating acoustic information obtained from digital heritage architecture. As an early-stage research initiative, it investigates how XR environments can support intuitive understanding of visualised acoustics through interactive and immersive representations.

A three-dimensional digital model of the Roman Theatre of Palmyra, Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was refined, and room acoustic simulations were performed to generate visual representations of sound distribution, illustrating the theatre’s performance under varying source and receiver configurations. The simulation model was then used to auralise the theatre, adding an extra sensory dimension to the simulation. These simulated outputs were integrated into an XR environment, enabling interactive exploration of the theatre’s acoustic features through a combination of visual, spatial, and audio representations.

Acknowledgements: This research was funded by the Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship at the University of West London.

References

[1] Berardi et al., "The acoustic of Roman theatres in Southern Italy and some reflections for their modern uses," Applied Acoustics, vol. 170, 2020.

[2] Navas-Reascos et al., "Archaeoacoustics around the World: A Literature Review," Applied Sciences, vol. 13, 2023.