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Loci

A citable evidence platform built from community interpretation and museum stewardship needs.

2025 - Ongoing LiberiaEvanston, IL, USA Emerging Technologies Lab, Northwestern IT
Loci public collection in October 2026, showing search, collection filters, and published object cards.
loci.threedeezy.com

Woman shaped wood spoon | Loci public evidence object

Community interview in Sanniquellie, Liberia about Field Museum Spoon.
Community interview in Sanniquellie, Liberia about Field Museum Spoon
210486.nosub[1] Field Museum Catalog Card.
210486.nosub[1] Field Museum Catalog Card
Open full object interfaceLoci public evidence page

Overview

Loci connects 3D objects with video interpretations, timed transcripts, spatial annotations, and citations. It grew from VR-supported fieldwork in Liberia and collection stewards’ need to carry community knowledge into research, teaching, and exhibitions. I developed it during my residency in Northwestern IT’s Emerging Technologies Lab.

The hosted research collection presents six objects with linked interpretations and searchable transcripts. A private authoring workflow supports rights review and curation before publication. Building Loci: Restorative Stewardship for Material Culture and Community Knowledge tells the research story behind the platform.

Open-source software and a reproducible demo

I develop and maintain the public 3dhlab/loci source repository. Its original software, documentation, and generated demo assets are available under Apache 2.0. Collection media and contributor materials carry their own permissions and stewardship responsibilities.

The Docker demo uses a generated model, video, transcript, and annotations to let readers try the linked-evidence workflow on their own computer. See the v0.1.1 release, software citation, and contribution guide for continued use and development.

Supporting Media

Project documentation, process views, and field context

Loci evidence page for the Loma Konia medicine pot.
Loci evidence page for the Loma Konia medicine pot.
Collaborators from the National Museum of Liberia and the University of Liberia conducting a VR-supported interpretation session in Sanniquellie.
VR fieldwork in Sanniquellie.
Loci evidence page for an Iroke object interpretation.
Loci evidence page for an Iroke object interpretation.

Related Locations

  • Liberia

    Liberia-based research linking fieldwork, immersive interpretation, heritage collaboration, and 3D documentation.

  • Evanston

    Research, exhibition, and interface-design base linking Northwestern collaborations to public scholarship and immersive projects.

Related Publications