Panoramic Virtual Museum Website

Panoramic virtual museum website refers to the idea of displaying and promoting
artifacts virtually with 360 degree view using the digital or electronic devices to wide
public. Even though there are many panoramic virtual museums existed throughout the
world, but the number appearance of this technique within Malaysia is considered few.
A panoramic virtual museum website is developed as an alternative way of museum
visitation for visitors who find some difficulties due to the insufficient of accessibility
and etc. It also produces a simple but complete self guided virtual tour through
panoramic virtual reality technology for local museum, Pasir Salak Historical Complex.
The website comes out with an immersive virtual environment displayed that makes
visitors feel as if they are physically present in the museum. Audiences can manipulate
the scene up to 360 degree rotation, move, resize, set an automatic rotation and turn it
into full screen mode. This website also provides the tour that consist “hotspot” which
enable to link from one section to another while providing the popup information and
narrations for the objects shown.
The project has implemented with water fall methodology which identified as a suitable
method in developing the panoramic virtual museum website. It consists of many series
of the definite phases that run with an intended to start sequentially after another. This
method provides an easily maintaining and iterating function when the requirements are
changed.
Panoramic virtual museum website of this project has not been implemented yet by any
museum websites in Malaysia before; furthermore, the study of general community’s
interest has shown good responses and direction for its development supports by good
feedback from assistant curator of the respective museum (Pasir Salak Historical
Complex), the website is worth being developed. With these, the panoramic virtual
museum website not only standing as a medium of interaction between general public
and museum but also able to enhance status of technological used by museum in
Malaysia as well.