Digital platform for virtual tours of the Nisyros island volcano

The creation of a digital platform for virtual tours, in real-time, of the Nisyros volcano was approved by the Region of South Aegean through the "South Aegean" program 2021-2027 and the Priority "Enhancing competitiveness and productive potential", with a European budget of 200,000 euros.

The operation is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, and the beneficiary is the municipality of Nisyros, according to the timetable of the Decision, the platform should be completed by the end of June 2027.

The operation concerns an innovative tourist and environmental experience with the creation of a digital twin of the volcano through a virtual tour based on realistic measurements and a real-time representation of the conditions of the volcano at the time of the user's digital visit.

An impressive tourist experience

The project will create the accurate digital twin by integrating a 3D model and measurements of the conditions that dynamically prevail in the crater at the time of the digital visit (e.g. temperature, gas emission measurements, etc.), as well as historical measurements at selected points. The application will allow for interactive exploration of the Digital Twin of the volcano’s crater and, in addition to providing an impressive tourist experience, will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the history of the volcano.

At the same time, the project contributes to the development of a sustainable tourist and educational experience by providing educational tours for students and educational institutions through the 3D digital environment. The integration of sensor measurements in the physical space of the volcano and the introduction of artificial intelligence mechanisms can highlight the environmental impact and promote experiential tourism, creating an interactive digital environment.

The project will also develop a fully integrated web platform that will combine the crater map in 2D and the Digital Twin in 3D format. Using photogrammetry technology, a grid of points will be created which, when processed, will give the 3D model of the volcano's crater, giving great detail and realism.

Dynamic real-time navigation

The map and the 3D model will display icons that provide information about the volcano. By selecting the icon, the user will receive detailed information from sensors located in the volcano's physical space in real-time or a 360-degree image of the point in question will be displayed. Navigation in the space will be dynamic with emerging digital environments that will add realism to the digital tourism experience.

The digital twin will also highlight issues of volcano resilience, vulnerability, and environmental impact.

The platform will be implemented as a full-stack application, with the front end communicating with the backend via RESTful API. The backend will manage the Digital Twin of the crater and provide the necessary information to the front end for users to display.

The start date is set for September 1, 2025, and the project should be completed by June 30, 2027.

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