The Digital Songlines Environment (DSE) is interactive development toolkit for recording and presenting virtual hertiage and culture using 3D virtual world software.

The development of DSE has occured through the Indigenous Communities program of the Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID).  CyberDreaming has been a key industry partner in this program to explore and assist Indigenous communities discover new and innovative ways to combine internet communications technologies, computer visualisation and participatory GIS techniques into virtual systems that preserve, protect and re-present Indigenous cultural heritage. 

For several years this research has been ongoing and will continue whilst ACID and Indigenous communities support this program. It's planned for a toolkit to be researched and developed to do iterations in communities across Australia. This toolkit called the Digital Songlines Engine has already established a some best practice methods that allow for the depiction, representation and respect of the Dreaming, songlines and Indigenous knowledge. In achieving this the diversity of Australia’s Aboriginal people is shown and we argue that this immersive and interactive 3D virtual technology is a new storytelling medium which when employed can effectively preserve, protect and promote an old and ancient culture for new generations.

 Aims

• Digitally represent Australian flora, fauna and topography in high resolution 3D
• Incorporate spatial audio with this landscape
• Represent knowledge using virtual 3D avatars to tell Indigenous stories
• Record knowledge, myths, legends and cultural practices in relational 3-D landscape database
• Create an interactive environment where myths and legends can be told through quests and exploration of a 3-D landscape based upon Aboriginal culture and heritage
• Represent Aboriginal art, stories and artefacts in high definition 3-D
• Quickly iterative 3-D landscape extracted from satellite based topographical imagery
• Respect cultural protocol and other sensitivities which surround Aboriginal cultural heritage management
• Explore the virtual landscapes within the context of a massively multi-user environment and 
• Respect Indigenous knowledge and acknowledge the diversity of Aboriginal people.

PURPOSE

• A system for recording oral histories
• A 3-D render for herbarium data
• An interactive scripting system for dreamtime myths, legends and stories telling
• A cultural sensitive methodology for protecting, preserving and promoting Indigenous cultural heritage practice
• A rapid prototyping tool for virtual world creation
• A customizable system that meets community wishes
• An interactive educational toolkit for language, oral histories and cultural heritage mapping

FEATURES

• Adventure as clans with other users simultaneously
• Explore the length and breadth of Australia’s rich and diverse landscapes – tropical, desert, highland, savannah, etc.
• Become of member of a clan and learn what heritage stems from that land
• Develop your professions and make the tools and artefacts vital to your survival
• Acquire knowledge through exploration and meeting others
• Customise your tools, enhance your weapons and learn about the benefits that the land can provide
• Explore the land and experience many hours of knowledge based upon quests, discovery landforms and other adventures to ensure your survival