However, the visualisation of the sample data (that is the chemical data associated with the sample points) is currently separated from the visualisation of the macroscopic object. In fact, in most cultural heritage applications, sample points are selected for further chemical analysis in well defined positions of a macroscopic model (e.g., a statue, a painting, etc.). In this context there is a lack of a general integrated software for the simultaneous visualisation of both kinds of data. Traditional visualisation software is either focused on the microscopic world of molecules or on case-by-case macroscopic scenarios. PROTEUS allows a real time interaction with the models displayed in the virtual environment providing the ability to enter metadata and create interconnections between them. The other key element of the PROTEUS platform is its ability of shifting in a seamless way from the macroscopic to the microscopic level, thus allowing en easy and effective interaction between the two worlds and putting them in correlation through a direct approach in the same application. PROTEUS was conceived to be easily upgradeable both for new hardware and for new software releases. In few years, if not months, substantial updates occur both in display devices (helmets for virtual reality, screens, CAVE devices, etc.) and in software with which the applications are created (graphics and rendering engines, visualisation tools). The rapid obsolescence of the hardware and software tools used for virtual reconstructions is a serious problem in the field of digital humanities. This represents also a significant step forward in the democratisation of science, thanks to an user-friendly and immersive access to advanced scientific algorithms, which allow the natural perception of structural and topological features of the underlying molecular and supra-molecular systems. The paper illustrates, by means of some case studies, the performances of this innovative tool that permits the researcher to understand and manipulate objects, to test hypotheses and to seek meaningful results, visualising the metadata while changing the parameters of the simulation in a dynamic and interactive way. The virtual reality software, developed for the Oculus Quest 2 hardware, is called PROTEUS and allows for seamless transition from the macroscopic world of digital humanities to the microscopic world of molecular sciences. This paper reports the main aspects of the implementation of a virtual reality tool integrated with an online repository for storing 3D models, metadata and chemical analyses related to different sectors of digital humanities. In the field of digital humanities, it is increasingly necessary to develop and validate virtual reality tools that are capable of combining various scientific data in a virtualized context providing also access and user friendly consultation of online repositories.
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