This article was published on October 7, 2014

CyArk is digitally documenting World Heritage Sites in 3D with a little help from Microsoft


CyArk is digitally documenting World Heritage Sites in 3D with a little help from Microsoft

CyArk, a nonprofit organization that’s setting out to create a digital archive of the world’s heritage sites, has gained a valuable ally in the form of Microsoft.

Microsoft has partnered with CyArk to build an all-new online portal to showcase the planet’s treasures. CyArk is looking to digitally document 500 heritage sites within five years, creating detailed (to the half-inch) 3D models of a myriad of locations around the world.

The new site taps “advanced hardware acceleration and WebGL,” which basically helps bring powerful 3D capabilities to the browser.

Screenshot 2014-10-07 13.23.27

From Microsoft’s perspective, this move represents part of its Rethink campaign, as it looks to convince the world that Internet Explorer is still worth your time.

Interestingly, Nokia is also teaming up with CyArk, lending its HERE True mapping vehicles to help create detailed models of roads and cities using LiDAR. You can see a short skit here of HERE’s work with CyArk in Philadelphia.

CyArk

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