Hispetra: Roman History in Augmented Reality
Hispetra: Roman History in Augmented Reality
A project by Kim-Sophia Kober, Linus Ziesel & Noah Wendt
Supervised by Prof. Dr. Paul Grimm & Prof. Thomas Bedenk
Project done in Study Semester 5 | Winter 2025/2026
About the Project
Hispetra is an Augmented Reality experience that brings the Roman history of the Sea of Rocks (Felsenmeer) to life on site. Developed in cooperation with the Geo-Naturpark Bergstraße-Odenwald, the fifth semester Expanded Realities/AVRD project uses a smartphone app to connect visitors with traces of Roman stone working that remain visible in the landscape.
At the centre of the experience is Marcus, a young Roman stone mason apprentice who acts as a virtual guide. He explains his daily work, demonstrates historical techniques and shares insights into life at the quarry. Visitors follow a guided, gamified journey through the site, discovering features such as the giant column and tool marks carved into the stones. An augmented interaction layer adds information and activities to the physical environment, while an in-app glossary stores collected knowledge for later reference.
A real, stone-carved game board enhanced with virtual overlays introduces Rota, a Roman game that lets visitors interact playfully with Marcus. This combines historical learning with an activity connected to the material culture of the site.
The experience combines mobile AR, Mixed Reality and locally operated AI to make Roman history accessible through direct exploration of the Felsenmeer. Visitors move through the location while receiving information and interactions related to the traces around them, rather than encountering the history only through a conventional display.
Hispetra also extends beyond the smartphone experience through a station-based Mixed Reality encounter. Visitors can meet Marcus in a face-to-face interaction without the limitations of a small screen. The dialogue is powered by AI models running locally on site, allowing the system to respond without relying on cloud services.
An AR photo mode provides another way to engage with the experience. Visitors can pose alongside Marcus and create a personal souvenir of their visit. By connecting a real historical location with virtual characters, interactive objects, guided activities and an AI-supported encounter, Hispetra creates a layered way to explore the working history of the quarry.
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