VR presentation of world wonders from Google and CyArk
When I was little, I used to watch wondrous sites from around the world hoping that one day I'll get to see them in person, but unfortunately, like most people, I didn't yet have the opportunity to travel the world and get to experience these unique locations. However, today's technology is capable of eliminating a lot of obstacles and thanks to a collaboration between Google and CyArk, you can now explore some world wonders using your PC, mobile device or VR headset.
There's a new field called digital archaeology, which aims to preserve antique sites by creating digital copies of them as accurately as possible. CyArk, a non-profit organization dedicated to digital preservation has teamed up with Google's Arts and Cultures section and together they've launched a new website where you can see 3D images and videos from remote wonders such as Chichen Itza in Mexico, Piazza del Duomo, Pisa in Italy or the Historic City of Ayutthaya in Thailand. All of the sites present on the website have been scanned using a special laser technology, which makes it possible to perfectly capture the geometry, color and texture of these historical sites.
Locations available on Open Heritage
In case I've piqued your curiosity and you're interested in visiting it, the Open Heritage website contains 3D imagery and videos along with 360-degree images from 24 endangered locations spanning across 18 countries. You can watch expedition overviews as well as 3D images from Bagan (Myanmar), the Temple of Echmoun (Lebanon), Ancient Corinth (Greece), Mesa Verde (United States), Brandenburg Gate (Germany), Al Azen Palace (Syria), Teotihuacan (Mexico), etc. As I previously stated, the available content can be watched on PCs and Macs using Google's Chrome browser, on mobile devices as well as by using the DayDream headset or other VR devices.
Tikal, Guatemala
Besides bringing remote locations right in front of our eyes as accurately as possible, there's another really cool aspect about this project. It mainly focuses on wonders that are in danger of being further damaged or disappearing altogether, so digitizing them ensures that they will live forever. This means that our children and grandchildren will still be able to learn about them and see them as they are now, even if these wonders will no longer exist in the real world. Additionally, the highly advanced laser-scanning tech that CyArk uses also helps identify structural issues, bringing invaluable information for future restoration projects as well as helping determine which wonders require restorations sooner rather than later.
As most of you probably already know, this isn't the first time Google is working on helping people see accurate renderings of remote locations from earth or even from places that aren't on our planet. The Google Earth project has allowed people to explore otherwise unreachable sites for quite some time and is available on every major platform, including virtual reality headsets, which means that every person with an Internet connection can have full access to the information and images contained by the service.
