A LOW-COST ICT SOLUTION TO SUPPORT VISITORS IN TOURISTIC CAVES

Abstract. This study aims to examine innovative solutions to enhance the tourist experience and visitor localization within the Bossea Cave, one of the most important karstic caves in Italy, located in the municipality of Frabosa Soprana. The lack of advanced technological tools for managing cave structures and modernizing visitor tours creates a significant opportunity for the integration of new technologies. The researchers propose a low-cost and modular hardware infrastructure, consisting of a series of single-board computers distributed throughout the cave, acting as local web servers to provide visitors with customizable multimedia content, accessible through a web application on their personal devices via a local Wi-Fi network. This infrastructure also enables visitor localization based on their connection point within the cave, with the additional goal of testing the ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology in this complex and humid environment. The UWB technology offers high-precision localization, even in indoor environments and caves, where GNSS signals are not available. Overall, the study provides a promising solution to enhance the visitor experience and offers opportunities for cave management and research.