UNESCO launches 3D scanning app for Ukrainian monuments
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNESCO says that 70 religious sites, 13 museums, 33 historic buildings and 17 monuments have already been damaged during Russia's invasion.
The Backup Ukraine project allows ordinary people to become archivists by using an app to digitally capture buildings and monuments as 3 D models.
The app has recorded more than 6,000 downloads and has between 30 and 50 active users who regularly contribute scans.
Tao Thomsen said that the most effective way to erase a person's national identity is by destroying their cultural heritage.
When we saw exactly that happen, we knew that we needed to do something, and we needed to do it quickly, he said.
Backup Ukraine, a program launched by UNESCO and Blue Shield Denmark, relies on volunteers to document important sites.
The scanning app uses photogrammetry, or LiDAR technology to create detailed, three-dimensional models.
Every scan geo-tagged to a Ukrainian location is automatically saved to a database, and all the processing is done in the cloud.
Tao Thomsen says only 100 images are required to create a detailed 3 D scan, but he recommends taking a full 250 images to achieve the best quality.
"Everyday people can make really precise, 3 D models at a level that was normally reserved for professionals with millions of dollars in equipment," Thomsen explained.
He said that the power is now in the pocket of every Ukrainian.
Contributors are encouraged to stay safe at all times, respect curfews and not attempt scans in areas of immediate conflict.
One 33-year-old Kyiv resident, Maksim Kamynin, has already contributed more than 100 scans.
The architect and interior designer has seen his life change dramatically since the war began.
With little work on offer, he visits towns and cities to dispense humanitarian aid and captures buildings and monuments on his phone.
Historical buildings, monuments and sculptures are destroyed and books are burned. He said churches that are more than 1,000 years old are being destroyed.
While Tao Thomsen hopes that the 3 D scans will never be needed, he believes that the digital models could one day aid reconstruction, new model casts or just act as a form of documentation.
He said nothing in the physical world lasts forever, while a digital copy can live on for eternity, as long as you make sure that you maintain the database.