Thanks to the Internet, exploring the world's greatest treasures are only a few clicks away. Microsoft is joining a nonprofit organization to create a digital archive of the world's most famous heritage sites.
The nonprofit organization CyArk and new partner Microsoft will create 3D models of the world's greatest locations using "advanced hardware acceleration and WebGL," that bring the places to life right from browser.
The partnership is part of Microsoft's Rethink campaign, an attempt to revamp its reputation and get people to continue to use its Internet Explorer browser.
Microsft and CyArk aim to have the new online portal completed in five years. The team will digitally document an innumerable amount of locations around the world.
The Oakland, Calif., nonprofit, which calls itself the "digital archive of the world's heritage sites for preservation and education," previously launched a Kickstarter project for the 3D digital preservation of the 1964-65 World's Fair New York State Pavilion's Tent of Tomorrow and Astro-Towers in May.
The site said it could preserve the site for $15,000. The project was successfully funded on June 1, raising $15,742 from 121 backers.
The nonprofit digitally preserves world heritage sites to keep history alive in case natural disasters or man-made actions such as war and terrorism destroy the world's treasures.
"The 3D models can be used to create an accurate record of our cultural heritage," Elizabeth Lee, vice president of CyArk, says. "We work with local groups on nearly all of our projects, so those groups are able to use the models in ongoing restoration or conservation work."
CyArk has posted finished projects that include: Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the U.S.; Ancient Thebes and the Ramesseum/Necropolis of Ramses II in Egypt; Chichén Itzá, the ancient Mayan center and pilgrimage site in the Yucatán in Mexico; and Pompeii, the ancient Roman city.
Other works in progress include: Aam Khas Bagh in India, Antarctic Expedition Huts and Eastern Qing Tombs in China, just to name a few.
Nokia has also partnered with CyArk using its new True Technology mapping system from its Here business unit. The True Technology system provides more realistic views of places using panoramic cameras with a Lidar laser scanner and GPS sensor. The technology can capture 1.3 million 3D data points per second to create 3D models of cities. Lidar is a remote sensing technology that works by illuminating a target with a laser and then analyzes the reflected light to make high-definition maps or renderings.
The team used the True Technology system to digitally document the city of Philadelphia. Watch the project below.
