Virtual heritage: what next?

Virtual heritage is the use of computer-based interactive technologies to record, preserve or recreate artifacts, sites and actors of historic, artistic, religious and cultural significance and to deliver the results openly to a global audience in such a way as to provide formative educational experiences through electronic manipulations of time and space. Where do we go from here, and what can we expect in the next decade? Already we're witnessing the evolution of systems making virtual reality (VR) accessible to social and working groups for applications hitherto considered out of the question. For those with just a basic PC and access to the Web, VR is now a technology that promotes active participation, through contributions to virtual libraries or repositories, or becoming involved as avatars (virtual humans) in shared electronic communities. We can now harness the power of video games engines, backed up with tutorials, patches and 3D model libraries from the Web. VR is no longer a limited sensory experience, accessible to a few fortunate individuals. Neither is it a technology destined to replace the real experience of traveling to a historical site or museum and experiencing the true ambience and splendor of the past first-hand. It's a means by which we can increase our understanding of (and respect for) our sociological, cultural and natural past, with the ultimate aim of making our future a more rewarding experience for those yet to come.