Tustan AR 1.8.3

The application serves as a virtual time machine, allowing users to explore the wooden castle that existed from the 9th to the 16th centuries, positioned along the historic trade route through the Carpathian Mountains.

Nearly fifty years ago, Mykhaylo Rozhko discovered traces of this castle on the rocks while visiting Urych, a site where human creativity has historically augmented the natural landscape. The aspiration to reconstruct the castle has evolved into a shared vision with his son, Vasyl Rozhko, who continues to support this endeavor.

The reconstruction journey began with extensive manual measurements taken between 1971 and 1977. Approximately 4,000 locations were meticulously documented, focusing on where wooden planks were affixed to rocks. Initial scientific graphical reconstructions were hand-drawn on paper, leveraging known architectural samples from the era and remaining wooden artifacts, achieving an accuracy of up to 90%. During its peak in the 13th century, the castle featured up to five floors, each ranging from 3.5 to 5 meters in height, totaling approximately 25 meters.

As technology advanced, laser distance measurement tools became available, prompting a new round of measurements. However, accessibility issues persisted due to vegetation obscuring parts of the rock formations. Drones were introduced to overcome these challenges, facilitating photogrammetric reconstructions that provided centimeter-to-millimeter precision. This process enabled the creation of detailed models of both the stones and the castle using modern computer graphics techniques.

The SoftServe R&D team faced significant technological challenges in developing a mobile application capable of functioning outdoors under varying weather conditions. This application is now operational on-site, offering real-time experiences while also allowing users to explore through images accessible via the App Store and Google Play.

In today's technological landscape, it is feasible to reconstruct or even 3D print a full-scale version of the castle; however, this would not represent an authentic reconstruction. Remarkably, this pursuit has revealed that the rock formations are also deteriorating over time, highlighting the importance of preserving this cultural heritage.

Through augmented reality, users can engage with cultural-historical phenomena in an immersive manner. Understanding our past is crucial for fostering a more confident progression into the future.