The University of Macau (UM) announced in a statement that the UM Library now offers 360-degree virtual reality (VR) tours, for which a launch ceremony was held on its campus in Hengqin, yesterday.
According to the statement, the tours enable visitors to explore the library’s “exterior architecture, bookshelves area, reading spaces, auditorium, exhibition hall, and rare book room” from various perspectives. More elements such as virtual online exhibitions and online lecture will be added in the future to offer different experiences for visitors.
The project was initiated by the Asia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management (APAEM), the UM Library, and the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), with its launch making the university’s library “the first of its kind” in Macau to offer 360-degree VR tours, the statement noted.
The statement said that the ceremony was officiated by UM Vice Rector Rui Martins, UM University Librarian Wu Jianzhong and FST’s Department of Electromechanical Engineering’s Associate Professor Wong Seng Fat, with attendees from science, technology and library science fields, as well as UM faculty members and students.
The statement quoted Wong as saying that the tours were captured by a professional team using aerial photography and professional cameras, while the 360-degree 3D model of the library “was developed using special software” to realistically present the library’s bookshelves area, exhibition hall, and items to visitors.
Moreover, the statement also quoted Wong as saying that the tour is an APAEM-led smart tourism project to “digitally archive and share Macau’s cultural architecture”.
The VR tour can be accessed at https://vr.library.um.edu.mo/, while further details about the library can be found at https://library.um.edu.mo/.
The UM Library is open to the public, with those who are not members of the university able to enter after registering with their ID cards, the statement noted. Library users must follow the government’s COVID-19 pandemic prevention guidelines.
This image provided by the University of Macau (UM) yesterday shows the different parts of the UM Library that can be explored through the VR tour.
