Virtual reality time travelling part 1/2

Virtual reality has always been an interest of mine and after finding 'Miralab' - a research lab that work in the domains of mixed reality and 3D multimedia applications. There were two articles on the BBC new website (links below) about virtual reality and augmented design.The development of a virtual reality Turkish mosque dating from the 16th century that allows a user to move around and explore the building in real-time using a mouse and the possibility to zoom in on detailed mosaics.

"The technology allows you to restore endangered sites, with the atmosphere and ambience of those buildings at that era,… We are trying to give the impression of back in time - this kind of technology could be used for a virtual museum" - Nedjma Cadi-Yazli, Miralab.

This virtual reality simulation can provide a sense of "being there" and adapting it to a virtual museum of sort where users can freely walk around and look at cultural artefacts can provide a way for people to immerse themselves in not only the past but also how culture has differed to the present.
In a way the Nottingham Castle project provides this information, users can see what buildings were present before its change in history. The aim of my historical reconstruction is to provide evidence taken from pictures and plans of the castle and providing an alternative method to castle visitors to view and learn. A 3D real-time application an be an advantage to a user as well as having existing photos, writings, and artefacts that can be simply 'viewed'.
This virtual reality technology seems to be a 'step up' from my current practice but the results are very similar in terms of a real time experience.


Web links
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3472589.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3954659.stm