A research project in Thessaloniki subtitles theatrical performances

A deaf person watches a theater performance without missing any of the lines of the actors on stage.

In the same room, there is also a spectator, who does not know the Greek language, but watches the same play and understands its plot.

Someone else sees before him the storm that breaks out in the plot of the show.

All this can happen through “TheARtro”, an innovative augmented reality system for creating and presenting performances, with the main goal of enhancing accessibility and the viewer’s experience.

All that is needed is for the latter to wear a pair of special glasses.

“Using some glasses, which are transparent and as you wear them you can see normally what is in front of you, watching a spectacle, inside these glasses information about what you see is displayedGiorgos Lykiardopoulos from Highway Productions, a member of the Cultural Organization, said in a related press conference.Twilight”who was the original recipient of the idea and appeared willing to implement it.

He also noted that the information is only visible to viewers who choose to wear the special glasses and while the show is unfolding normally for the rest of the audience.

The idea belongs to the theater researcher and director Roubini Moschohoritis, who had noticed in large productions that come from abroad with subtitles, that they were usually too far away or moved too fast, with the result that the viewer …misses the actors playing or the their movement.

“Then I thought how cool it would be if we could see an actor’s words above his head, sort of like the speech bubbles in the comics. It’s groundbreaking as there hasn’t been any other research that projects words over actors’ heads.”Mrs. Moschohoritis emphasized.

The program has been in the works since 2017 and at this stage is nearing its completion. Tests and applications have already taken place in Athens, Ioannina and Thessaloniki, where a performance will be given next month to present its final form, which aims to be used in addition to theaters and museums.

“We have a system which, using depth cameras, tracks the position of the actors in the 3D space of the stage and tracks them as they move. We also have an application through which we have developed and create the show by putting information about what will appear and when, which actor is speaking, what line he will say and when.

Another app controls the show while it’s running so an operator can step in when there happen to be delays in live time, and finally we have the projection app, which is loaded onto the glasses worn by the viewer and displays the corresponding magnification point at the right time.” said EKETA representative Thanos Tsakiris describing the operation of “TheARtro”.

The project was developed with the support of the ETAK Single Action of State Aid, through the Research – Create – Innovate Program and is co-financed by Greece and the European Union.

The IT company Comitech SA also participates in the project. and DI.KE.PE.THE. Ioannina.

RES-EMP

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