Tanit XR digitally preserves Tunisia’s at‑risk archaeological sites by capturing high‑resolution 3D scans with portable equipment and hosting the models in a free, open‑access online archive. The archive powers AR and VR experiences that let educators, museums, and the public explore artifacts and reconstructed ruins remotely, while training programs enable volunteers and students to contribute to the documentation effort.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Many of Tunisia’s archaeological sites and artifacts are deteriorating rapidly due to climate change, erosion, and neglect, and traditional documentation methods are slow, costly, and often inaccessible to educators and the public.
Solution
Tanit XR addresses this gap by digitally capturing at‑risk heritage using portable 3D scanning techniques, creating a free, open‑access archive of high‑resolution models. The archive supports immersive AR and VR experiences that let users view mosaics, statues, and ruins in their own environment or explore reconstructed sites virtually. Educational programs and hands‑on workshops train volunteers and students in scanning, model cleanup, and digital storytelling, expanding the community of contributors. Partnerships with research institutions ensure the accuracy and contextual richness of the digital records. By preserving a permanent digital memory, Tanit XR enables museums, schools, and heritage organizations worldwide to incorporate authentic Tunisian cultural assets into curricula and exhibitions without needing physical access to the sites.
Target Audience
Primary users include educators, museum curators, and heritage professionals seeking digital content for teaching and exhibition, as well as volunteers and students interested in cultural‑heritage preservation.
Features
- Portable 3D scanning workflow that can be performed with smartphones or dedicated scanners to capture artifacts and architectural elements on site
- Open online archive hosting thousands of high‑detail meshes, freely searchable and downloadable for non‑commercial use
- AR applications that overlay scanned objects into real‑world spaces via mobile devices for interactive classroom demonstrations
- VR environments that reconstruct entire Roman villas, Carthaginian ruins, and other sites for immersive exploration
- Structured training modules covering scanning techniques, data cleaning, and narrative creation for volunteers and educators
- Collaborative research pipeline that integrates expert metadata, provenance information, and scholarly review into each digital record