Digital Oulu Cultural Database

This paper describes the Digital Oulu Cultural Database, a versatile multimedia database of the local culture of the City of Oulu. An XML schema was developed to capture the metadata information of a culture object, which is then represented in form of one or more media objects of different media types. The contents of the database can be browsed with a web interface adapted for mobile devices and personal computers. The PC interface includes a novel photorealistic 3D panorama view with virtual tour guides, which enhances the user’s browsing experience by linking the digital reproduction of the physical world to the relevant culture objects. The XML schema allows building semantic links between culture objects, which are visualized in the user interface as a cognitive aid.