Multimedia Annotation through WebGIS and Mobile Devices: Wireless Infrastructure Project for the UNESCO Site in Cerveteri – Italy

In this paper we present an original integration of technologies. The main objectives of the general project for the UNESCO site of Cerveteri are: solutions that integrate survey techniques and organize data in the GIS - called Sistema Informativo Territoriale Archeologico Ceretano (SITAC) - dedicated to this case study; accessibility and fruition of a complex archaeological area within a continous intervention process; offer the general public, researchers, and managers an important cognitive base that integrates multimedia and geographic scientific data through remote or on-site interaction with the SITAC. The proposed system is based on the integration of data communication and LBS devices connected in the wireless network with multimedia and multimodal characteristics in the archaeological area. This innovative and powerful solution - called MA(geo)RIS Multimedia Annotation of Geo-Referenced Information Sources - will allow collaborative construction and fruition of annotations made by users on georeferenced information by combining three web-enabled applications: a plug-in annotating multimedia content (MadCow), an environment for multimodal interaction (Chambre), and the WebGIS application (MapServer). The resulting system is unique in its offering a wealth of possibilities for interacting with geographically based material especially where there is a high quantity of resources in a complex site.