Applications of Augmented Reality to understand an archaeological site: problems and future development.

To understand heritage plays a key role in the experience of visitors and it becomes critical when sites are partially buried or in ruins. To understand an archaeological site we have to reduce the communication gap linked to archaeological finds, giving to visitors all additional information to decode the sign. One way is to merge the real and virtual word together using AR applications. We present the results of our experimental research about mobile Augmented Reality (AR) applications for the ancient site of Cuma. This paper resumes recent advances in AR and shows some of the problems linked to the right collimation between the real world and 3D models. We have analyzed some different merging techniques in particular we compared the techniques that are based on the use of markers (QR code) and more complex ones based on the recognition of the site's geometry, markerless. We have tested AR technology using an open source software that allows us to mixed real word to digital word, we have activated our channel and we have created a link to MatchMed, the database that we have developed in our research. Scanning some different QR codes we can: link directly to MatchMed, active the channel and see the labels at geo-located Points Of Interest, POIs, that give us access to all the information contained in MatchMed or start up the 360° navigation in the rebuilt temple which overlay visible reality by the devices' webcam of tablet or smartphone.