Digital Twins
of Old-Time Crafts
Digital Twins of Old-Time Crafts presents an immersive virtual reality experience dedicated to the traditional Bulgarian craft of gunsmithing, transforming complex intangible cultural heritage into an accessible, engaging, and sustainable digital environment.
Digital Twins of Old-Time Crafts presents an immersive virtual reality experience dedicated to the traditional Bulgarian craft of gunsmithing, transforming complex intangible cultural heritage into an accessible, engaging, and sustainable digital environment.
The project is grounded in rigorous research and documentation, combining advanced 3D digitization technologies—including LiDAR and photogrammetry—with archival materials and expert knowledge. It reconstructs a fully interactive 19th-century gunsmith workshop, authentically integrating three interconnected crafts—blacksmithing, carpentry, and silversmithing—thus preserving not only individual skills, but the complete technological and cultural ecosystem of the craft. A total of 51 original objects, tools, and interiors have been digitized in high resolution, ensuring their long-term conservation and future usability.
At the core of the experience is a specially created lifelike digital craftsman (metahuman), who guides users through the different stages of production. Through animated processes, documentary video content, and archival-based reconstructions, the project safeguards both the tangible and intangible dimensions of the craft, including techniques, knowledge, and working practices that are increasingly at risk of disappearing.
The project is grounded in rigorous research and documentation, combining advanced 3D digitization technologies—including LiDAR and photogrammetry—with archival materials and expert knowledge. It reconstructs a fully interactive 19th-century gunsmith workshop, authentically integrating three interconnected crafts—blacksmithing, carpentry, and silversmithing—thus preserving not only individual skills, but the complete technological and cultural ecosystem of the craft. A total of 51 original objects, tools, and interiors have been digitized in high resolution, ensuring their long-term conservation and future usability.
At the core of the experience is a specially created lifelike digital craftsman (metahuman), who guides users through the different stages of production. Through animated processes, documentary video content, and archival-based reconstructions, the project safeguards both the tangible and intangible dimensions of the craft, including techniques, knowledge, and working practices that are increasingly at risk of disappearing.
Designed for educational use and diverse international audiences, the application offers free navigation, interaction, and the ability to engage directly with virtual objects, creating a multisensory and participatory learning experience. The inclusion of bilingual audio and subtitles (Bulgarian and English) ensures accessibility across cultural contexts.
Presented internationally in Slovenia and Croatia, the project demonstrates strong potential for cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge exchange. By merging advanced VR technologies with heritage expertise, it establishes an innovative and scalable model for the preservation, interpretation, and transmission of traditional crafts to future generations.
Presented internationally in Slovenia and Croatia, the project demonstrates strong potential for cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge exchange. By merging advanced VR technologies with heritage expertise, it establishes an innovative and scalable model for the preservation, interpretation, and transmission of traditional crafts to future generations.
The project is implemented with the financial support of the European Union – NextGenerationEU. Full responsibility for the content lies with Museum Etar, and under no circumstances can it be considered to reflect the official position of the European Union and the National Culture Fund.