Unpath’d Waters is a three-year cross-disciplinary researchproject which aims to unite the UK’s digital maritime heritage collections. The project brings together researchers and professionals from a range of fields, including maritime archaeology, palaeo-environmental research, data management (including the use of artificial intelligence), and digital heritage visualisation.

 At The Glasgow School of Art, we are leading the development of the Unpath Navigator, a virtual reality system which draws directly on the Unpath datsets. Together with multiple communities we are co-designing a virtual reality environment and immersive experience which will allow users to explore, query and enjoy the world of maritime heritage above and below the water.

 We are working closely with Museum of London Archaeology and Royal Museums Greenwich to co-design this resource with three target audiences: Visually Impaired Persons, Non-coastal Communities, and Cross-disciplinary Maritime Researchers. In doing so, it aims to reach new audiences for maritime heritage and create new opportunities for research. The Unpath’d Waters project is funded by UK Research and Innovation, as part of the Towards a National Collection initiative, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Unpath’d Waters is led by Historic England, who manage the wider consortium of 26 academic and heritage institutions.

Lead ProjectPartner:

HistoricEngland