DEOS: An Open-Source Cloud Platform for Digital Heritage
by Angelos Barmpoutis and Eleni Bozia

DEOS is an open-source cloud platform that offers solutions to several common problems related to digital heritage data handling, storage, attribution, and dissemination. It is an open-source light-weight server platform developed in PhP, which caters a client-side operating system that is fully developed in JavaScript. This web-operating system is fully contained inside the user’s browser and provides a unique combination of features such as flexible file handling and sharing (like Dropbox), media portability and embedding options (like YouTube), 3D viewers (like sketchFab), internal coding editor for extending the available features (like GitHub), VR rendering (like Steam) and many other options related to metadata editing, attribution, etc.
The interaction/visualization of assets takes place in the client-side (JavaScript) of the DEOS platform. The interaction on the client mimics the interaction of windowed operating systems. Each component of the interface (such as an archived asset, or a 3D viewer) can appear windowed within the user’s browser.The 3D content is rendered using webGL, the VR interaction is managed by webVR, the handheld interaction is controlled by touch gestures and/or the accelerometer of the device, and traditional interaction devices (mouse/keyboard) are supported for asset management, metadata editing, extending the existing features of the system, etc.
The DEOS platform is based on the VN architecture in which each asset/object consists of a cell that contains a metadata file, the archived asset, and their modification history. In this architecture, each asset can be “picked” and “used” by other users without generating multiple instances of the same asset on the cloud. Furthermore, each asset can be extended by other users, a process that generates branches of an asset on the cloud. The branches can be optionally merged with the original asset, a process that allows the users to improve dynamically the data and administer their own assets and metadata. Furthermore, the platform supports various forms of data dissemination and social interaction. Each asset in the DEOS platform can be opened using a unique URL, can be embedded in third party sites and blogs, and is social media-ready using the open graph API, which allows the users to share their digital heritage assets in social media platforms.
DEOS platform has 2 types of target users: 1) Individuals who are interested in creating, administer, and disseminate their own digital heritage archives, 2) Institutions who are interested in hosting their own instance of DEOS in order to handle their own digital heritage collections. In this case, the platform can be downloaded and installed in other institutions’ servers and configured to meet their needs.
During the Digital Heritage 2018 Expo, the project will be demonstrated with content from the Digital Epigraphy and Archaeology database, including 3D digitized inscriptions, statues, basts, and other historical artifacts.