An organization called CyArk creates 3D digital replicas of the world's man-made wonders, artifacts, and monuments in order to keep them preserved forever and available to future generations.
The not-for-profit organization was founded after the Taliban destroyed 16,000-year-old Buddha statues in Afghanistan in 2003, the CyArk website reported.
CyArk hopes to preserve pieces before they are "destroyed by human aggression or ravaged by the passage of time," the site stated.
"CyArk works with experienced teams worldwide to record heritage sites using reality capture technologies such as 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry and traditional survey," the organization stated. "The resultant 3D, engineering-grade data can then be used to create highly accurate documentation drawings for site conservation and realistic visualizations for education and interpretation."
The organization has already created replicas of over 100 of the world's most beloved ruins and statues, the Springfield News-Sun reported. CyArk now aims to add 400 additional sites to their digital library.
"There is never going to be enough time or money to preserve everything," CyArk co-founder Barbara Kacyra said Monday at a launch event in London, the Springfield News-Sun reported. "If you can't physically save something, your next best thing is to digitally preserve it."
Mount Rushmore has proven to be a difficult monument to scan. A climbing team had to navigate their way across the president's faces in order to capture every detail, Metro reported.
The next 500 sites that the organization makes models of will be based partially on which ones are currently in the most danger of destruction.
"The ones my heart goes for are sites in areas of turmoil and conflict and war right now," Ben Kacyra, who founded CyArk said, Metro reported. "You think of Syria and other countries where actual events are unfolding that are causing destruction, as well as areas that are very vulnerable to terrorism. The ones that are subject to earthquakes and floods - Venice is an example."
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