AR Tour Builder and Experience

The AR Tour Builder is a web application that supports the design of AR tours by associating 3D objects and other types of content (e.g., images, audio, video, text) to specific locations on a map. 

The AR Tour Experience is a mobile app that allows visitors to experience phygital tours by overlaying 3D digital objects onto the physical world and providing other types of accompanying information.

• AR Tour Builder: Curators and cultural heritage professionals of heritage sites; Archives working with urban or landscape heritage;Educators; Tourism and local heritage stakeholders.
•   AR Tour Experience: Visitors interested in exploring a location at their own pace; Pupils, students, and other guided groups; Site mediators and tour guides.

• Collaboratively create multilingual AR tours
• Design guided or free-roaming experiences
• Organise and reuse media from online collections
• Place and configure Points of Interest (PoIs) on a map
• Integrate and precisely positions 3D models in real-world settings
• Enrich experiences with rich media (images, audio, video, and more)
• Tours are delivered to the on-site visitor via the AR Tour Experience.

• GPS-based navigation and activation of PoIs
• Explore content in a 3D viewer or in AR on your smartphone
• View virtual content seamlessly overlaid on the real world as you move
• Experience accurately positioned 3D models in real-world locations
• Download tours in advance for uninterrupted on-site use
• Multilingual user interface
• Benefit from smooth performance with optimised content loading
• Dynamically updated to reflect the latest edits made via the AR Tour Builder

• The AR Tour Builder requires only a web browser, an internet connection, basic digital skills, and access to open content assets hosted online (e.g. 3D models, images, audio, texts).
• The AR Tour Experience requires a smartphone (Android) with camera and AR capabilities (see supported devices here),  as well as GPS GPS access and sufficient internet connectivity, depending on the type of content displayed in each tour.

A regional heritage site wishes to offer visitors an AR walk of their site. Using the AR Tour Builder:

1. The curator creates a new project on the AR Tour Builder.
2. They can place Points of Interest on the map.
3. A set of items of various formats, including 3D models,images, textual documents, and links can be added to each POI.
4. Short explanatory text and audio can be added in the desired language(s).
5. Short explanatory text and audio can be added in the desired language(s).
6. The tour can be tested on-site via the accompanying AR Tour Experience mobile app.

Then, a solo tourist is visiting the heritage site. They have a mobile device with GPS enabled and wish to explore the site based on their interests and at their own pace. The visitor may have already downloaded the AR Tour Experience app and selected their desired AR tour or may do this on arrival.

1. The visitor opens the AR Tour Experience app and selects their desired AR tour.
2. As the visitor explores the site, they are prompted about nearby POIs.
3. Moving to a POI, the app presents to the visitor a selection of relevant objects  associated with the respective location.
4. The visitor can choose to visualise a 3D object in overlay AR mode, thus being able to inspect hidden or missing elements at the location.
5. The app provides additional rich content (including images, textual documents, links to external resources such as a quiz), allowing the visitor to explore the location context more deeply.

• A complete AR tour package ready to be experienced by visitors on-site via the AR Tour Experience app, that delivers an engaging, self-guided AR tour curated by the heritage site through the AR Tour Builder, allowing the visitor to explore the site, its locations and context on their own terms.

The tool has been created by NTUA National Technical University of Athens in the context of EUreka3D-XR project co-funded by the European Union, under the Digital Europe Programme).

Data Controller contact details for AR Tour Builder and Experience: Eirini Kaldeli. Email: ekaldeli@image.ece.ntua.gr

 1. Introduction 

The AR Tour Builder web tool is bound by the European Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR). This document sets out the criteria and the conditions under which the AR Tour Builder tool collects, processes, uses, stores and transmits the data of the platform’s users, how the confidentiality of such information is ensured as well as the compliance of the aforementioned procedures and policies with the current EU Legislation. These procedures ensure compliance with any Law and/or Regulation implemented or enacted in accordance with the GDPR and the legislation on the protection of electronic privacy, or any law which modifies, replaces, adopts or codifies any of the above laws, as well as any other applicable national laws on the processing of personal data and privacy, as they may exist under applicable law. 

2. Collection and Processing of Personal Data 

2.1 Confidentiality and Security of Information 

The processing of personal data by the AR Tour Builder tool is conducted in a manner that ensures both confidentiality and security thereof. More specifically, it is carried out by authorised personnel, exclusively authorized for this purpose whereas all appropriate organizational and technical measures are taken to ensure data security and the protection thereof against accidental or unlawful destruction, accidental loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access, as well as and any other form of unfair processing. The AR Tour Builder tool does not, in any way, transfer/transmit or disclose the participants’ personal data to any third party business organizations, natural persons or legal entities, public authorities or agencies or any other organizations, other than those specifically referred to herein. Project’s participants’ personal data may be communicated or transferred to government authorities and/or law enforcement officers, if that is required for the above purposes, or within the scope of enforcing a court decision or order, or for complying with a provision of law, or if so required in order to serve the legitimate interests of the National Technical University of Athens as Data Controller, in accordance with applicable law. 

2.2 Types of data processed 

When the user visits the AR Tour Builder platform and as long as they interact with it, some information may be collected, such as: 

a) Information that enables the registration and identification of the user. Authentication is managed through EGI Check-in, which ensures that registration information (username and password) is processed lawfully, securely, and only for authorized scientific and operational purposes, granting users full rights to access, correct, or delete their data. The Privacy Policy of the EGI Check-in can be found here.

b) Information that enables the provision of the platform’s services, including: 

1. An Email address that is not verified or used by the platform, but is needed to link the user account with the EGI Check-in.
2. A Username on the platform that can be chosen freely (uniquely).
3. Navigation data within the platform, such as data related to the tours created or managed by the user and uploaded files.
4. Group relationships to other users that are identified by their Email.

2.3 Purpose of processing the collected data 

The personal data collected by the platform serve the following purposes: 

1. The provision of the platform’s services to the users;
2. The identification of the platform’ users, such as during registration and login; 
3. Provision of certain services, such as the creation, edit and retrieval of projects, tours and associated assets;
4. Group relationship data enables the collaboration and sharing functionality;
5. Seamless operation of the platform; 
6. User-friendly and easy-to-use platform user interface and improved internet experience during the operation of the platform. 

B. The monitoring and debugging of the tool. Technical logs necessary for the operation, monitoring and security of the system are maintained. They are purged regularly but some entries can be linked back to user  identities.

2.4 Rights of Data Subjects 

The AR Tour Builder tool performs all necessary actions both during collection and at each subsequent processing stage of the participants’ personal data, so that each participant is fully enabled to exercise the rights guaranteed by applicable data protection laws, namely the rights to access, rectify, erase and restrict processing, as well as the right to data portability, which are described below.

Right of Access: The data subject has the right to request and obtain from the Controller, within a time-period of one (1) month, confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning him or her, are being processed, and, where that is the case, access to the personal data and to certain information, as laid out by applicable law. It may also request a copy of the personal data undergoing processing as described herein by sending an email message to the address: ekaldeli@image.ece.ntua.gr

Right to rectification: The data subject has the right to require the Controller to rectify inaccurate personal data concerning him/her. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, the data subject is entitled to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement in accordance with the applicable law. 

Right to erasure: The data subject has the right to require from the Controller the erasure of all personal data collected through the AR Tour Builder tool, in accordance with the applicable law. Right to restriction of processing: The data subject is entitled to obtain from the Controller the restriction of processing of his/her data where the accuracy of the data is questioned or where any of the other conditions set out by the applicable law, is met. 

Right to data portability: The data subject shall have the right to receive any personal data relating to him/her and which he/she has provided to the Controller in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format, as well as the right to transmit such data to another controller without objection by the controller to whom such personal data were provided in accordance with the law. 

The above-mentioned rights are subject to various restrictions pursuant to applicable law, including for example if the fulfillment of the data subject’s request may disclose personal data of another person or in the event that is required by law to retain such data. To exercise any of the aforementioned rights, the User should send an email to ekaldeli@image.ece.ntua.gr. 

Confidentiality and Security of Information: The processing of personal data by the AR Tour Builder tool is conducted in a manner that ensures both confidentiality and security thereof. More specifically, it is carried out by authorised personnel, exclusively authorized for this purpose where as all appropriate organizational and technical measures are taken to ensure data security and the protection thereof against accidental or unlawful destruction, accidental loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access, as well as and any other form of unfair processing. 

Communication: For any questions or clarifications regarding this Privacy Statement and as well as in the event of any issues related to violation of personal data, Users may contact the Data Controller at ekaldeli@image.ece.ntua.gr. 

Retention period: The collected personal data shall not be retained for a period of time longer than it is necessary for the operations of the Service and the audits that it undergoes to that effect. 

Complaint / Termination: In case a participant’s request is not satisfied by the Data Controller, the participant may at any time file a complaint with the Competent Supervisory Authority, namely the Data Protection Authority (http://www.dpa.gr). 

3. Cookie Policy 

3.1 Service Application Cookies

When you access and/or use the Website, the tool places two types of Cookies on the user’s device. The tool sends two application-level cookies to the clients, a session id token and a CSRF token, used as a security mechanism to protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery. 

3.2 How long are cookies stored on the user’s device?

The duration for which a cookie will be stored on your browsing device depends on whether it is a “persistent” or a “session” cookie. The session cookies are stored on the user’s device until they close their browser tab. “Persistent cookies” (i.e. the CSRF cookie) remain on the user’s device after they have finished browsing until they expire or until the user deletes them.

3.3 How can the user disable cookies that have been placed on the their device?

You can usually use your web browser to enable, disable, or delete cookies. To do so, follow the instructions provided for by your web browser (usually located in the “Help”, “Tools” or “Edit” settings). You can also set your web browser to reject all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.

This Acceptable Use Policy and Conditions of Use (“AUP”) defines the rules and conditions that govern your access to and use (including transmission, processing, and storage of data) of the resources and services (“Services”) provided by the AR Tour Builder web platform, namely to support users to define and configure custom AR tours. You shall only use the Services in a manner consistent with the purposes and limitations described above; you shall show consideration towards other users including by not causing harm to the Services; you have an obligation to collaborate in the resolution of issues arising from your use of the Services.

1. You shall only use the Services for lawful purposes and not breach, attempt to breach, nor circumvent administrative or security controls.
2. You shall respect intellectual property and confidentiality agreements.
3. You shall protect your access credentials (e.g. passwords); no intentional sharing is permitted.
4. Reliance on the Services shall only be to the extent specified by any applicable service level agreements listed below. Use without such agreements is at your own risk.
5. Your personal data will be processed in accordance with the data protection policy referenced below.
6. Your use of the Services may be restricted or suspended, for administrative, operational, or security reasons, without prior notice and without compensation.
7. Other than personally identifiable information, which is covered under our Privacy Policy, any material you transmit or post to the website shall be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary.
8. You are prohibited from adding, posting or transmitting to or from the website any material or information:- that is threatening, defamatory, obscene, indecent, seditious, offensive, pornographic, abusive, liable to incite racial hatred, discriminatory, menacing, scandalous, inflammatory, blasphemous, in breach of confidence, in breach of privacy or which may cause annoyance or inconvenience; or
   • for which you have not obtained all necessary licences and/or approvals; or
   • which constitutes or encourages conduct that would be considered a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise be contrary to the law of or infringe the rights of any third party, in or any country in the world; 
   • which is technically harmful (including, without limitation, computer viruses, logic bombs, Trojan horses, worms, harmful components, corrupted data or other malicious software or harmful data); or
   • that goes against the declared objectives of the AR tours.
9. You shall not misuse the website (including, without limitation, by hacking).
10. We have the right to block any user’s account and/or remove any material or posting you make on the website if, in our opinion, such material does not comply with the provisions set out above or for any other reason whatsoever. In addition, we shall fully co-operate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing us to disclose the identity or locate anyone posting any material in breach of the provisions set out above. The tool providers accept no liability for the consequences of such removal.
11. If you are the owner of the copyright in any of the content on this website and you do not agree to your content appearing on the website, please contact us with the information requested below:
    • Your contact details:
    • Enough information for us to identify the relevant content
    • What your complaint is and why you are notifying us
    • Confirmation that you are the owner of the copyright in the work or are authorised by the owner to contact us.When we receive your complaint, we will acknowledge receipt by email.We will investigate the complaint and depending on our findings may remove the relevant works. Your complaint can be sent electronically to ekaldeli@image.ece.ntua.gr.
12. If you violate these rules, you may be liable for the consequences, which may include your account being suspended and a report being made to your home organisation or to law enforcement. The administrative contact for this AUP is: Eirini Kaldeli, ekaldeli@image.ece.ntua.The Data Protection Policy for EGI Check-in is located at Data Protection Policy.
13. Authentication to the AR Tour Builder is managed by the EGI Check-in, whose Acceptable Use Policy and Conditions of Use can be found here.