Artistic heritage defines the memory of humanity and its own nature. Unfortunately, the passage of time or armed conflicts often destroy this heritage. The voluntary or accidental destruction of these works is a historical constant. However, alongside greater sensitivity towards this heritage, new technologies offer powerful tools to create an immune testimony in the face of deterioration: virtual art. MIT uses virtual reality techniques to generate exact recreations of four Afghan monuments which will be available for future generations to explore.
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Exotic temples, mosques and minarets visited from home
The “Ways of Seeing” initiative will immortalize four historic buildings in different regions of Afghanistan. These include the Balkh Green Mosque, a Buddhist dome known as the Parwan Stupa in southern Kabul, the 15th-century tomb of Queen Gawhar Saad, and the imposing minaret of Jam, a 12th century structure measuring over sixty meters high, located in a remote region of western Afghanistan.
These buildings, chosen to represent different religions, will have virtual replicas as a guarantee because they are located in high-risk areas. Furthermore, this artistic metaverse The project aims to enable displaced Afghans living anywhere in the world, as well as anyone else, to visit these examples of virtual art at any time. The initiative will be available during the summer of 2023 and has involved various technologies to achieve its goals.
Technology at the service of virtual art
MIT researchers collaborated with a digital production team based in the Middle East, training them in aerial techniques. 3D scanning using drones. Between 15,000 and 30,000 images were captured at each location, which were then used as textures to develop 3D models using point cloud technology to create precise digital twins.
It is interesting to note that these virtual art technologies have been combined with a more traditional approach to ink drawing as part of the VERNADOC movement, led by Finnish architect Markku Mattila, which seeks to represent monuments with exact measurements through manual drawing. As one of the researchers explains, they created this complementary material according to the MIT motto “mens et manus” (the mind and the hand).
The full experience can be enjoyed with a virtual reality headset, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in these unique monuments. For example, in the case of the Green Mosque, you can walk inside and admire its dome. At the same time, the Jam minaret offers a hot air balloon ride to appreciate its position in the middle of the surrounding landscape.
Later, the goal is to combine autonomous drones, Satellite and historical images, as well as neural networks, to create new virtual artistic replicas of monuments around the world. For now, you can get a rough idea of the project by watching this video:
A Romanesque arch preserved thanks to 3D printing
Virtual reality is not the only way to preserve artistic heritage. There are other, more concrete methods to ensure its protection. This is the case of the Arch of San Pedro de Dueñas, a Romanesque arch from the 12th century that can be visited in the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum of Madrid. How did he get there? Well it is an exact replica created with a 3D printer after scanning the original, which is kept securely inside the museum.
The structure, measuring 2.2 meters high and 3.3 meters widewas created using additive printing with a concrete mixture, layer by layer. For the project, the two columns and the arch were printed separately and then assembled on site. Thus, far from its original location, visitors can see and touch the figures that adorn its capitals, as well as admire its architectural qualities, without fear of deterioration.
If you want to know all the details of this initiative, which includes scanning, digitizing and printing dozens of sculptures and works of art, check out This item.
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