Alnoor University supports a pioneering student project to develop virtual tours of the city of Babylon using artificial intelligence

As part of the efforts of the Iraqi Cultural Heritage Digitization Team at Alnoor Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation, affiliated with Alnoor University, to support technological innovation, student Ali Bashar Mohammed Shihab from the Department of Computer Science successfully implemented a project considered among the first in Iraq to fully rely on artificial intelligence technologies in developing interactive virtual tours to serve cultural heritage.

The project is based on two integrated axes. The first axis involves creating 360-degree images of the ancient city of Babylon using artificial intelligence technologies, where panoramic scenes are generated that simulate reality through the merging and processing of images in a way that allows them to be displayed as a complete surrounding environment that the user can explore in all directions, while maintaining balanced lighting and visual details to enhance the sense of realism.

The second axis involves developing an interactive display environment using the Marzipano platform, where a system has been built based on dividing panoramic images into small segments that are progressively loaded according to the user’s movement. This helps reduce resource consumption and speeds up rendering. It also includes developing a navigation mechanism between scenes through interactive hotspots that connect different locations, with camera angles adjusted to provide a smooth experience that simulates moving within the actual site.

The system was designed with flexibility and scalability in mind, allowing new locations and scenes to be easily added in the future without the need to rebuild the entire system. This reflects the university’s orientation toward adopting modern digital solutions for the preservation and documentation of cultural heritage.

The University of Alnoor also invites those interested to view and try the project via the following link:
https://babl360.vercel.app/

The university, through its support for such innovative projects, reaffirms its continued commitment to fostering an environment of innovation and empowering its students to employ advanced technologies in serving cultural identity and showcasing Iraq’s cultural heritage through modern interactive approaches.