Technology

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City gets a digital twin

A split screen shows a photograph of St Peter's Basilica in Vatican city (left), juxtaposed with a B&W 3D render (right). Caption reads:

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City now has a digital twin.

To monitor and preserve the landmark, which was completed in 1626 and features works by artists like Michelangelo and Bernini, Italian engineering company Italferr collected data using a variety of tech, including drones, georadar, and airships.

The company’s interdisciplinary approach, powered by powered by Bentley’s iTwin software, integrated topography and laser scanning to create a 3D model of the Basilica with high accuracy.

Both time and disasters, human-made and natural, can damage architectural heritage beyond repair. 3D mapping could help preserve important information to maintain and restore cherished landmarks across the world.

Mashable