A few days ago, the sad news of the destruction of a historic building shocked citizens around the world. The image of Notre Dame engulfed in flames made us all wonder if we would ever have the opportunity to visit this unique landmark again. But what if in reality we could not only bring back to life lost monuments but also entire civilizations?
If you are wondering how this could be done, the answer is imaging technology, or artificial intelligence technology. How can imaging technology contribute to the faster and more accurate restoration of buildings?
“Rescue technology” is now rapidly emerging as a major factor in building restoration and civil protection services are increasingly integrating it into disaster management plans. Various types of remote sensing data (aerial photography, satellite imagery, SAR, LiDAR) and different techniques are now being applied to detect and assess construction problems, either by assessing changes using data before and after a disaster, or by interpreting data after an event to make a preliminary assessment of the situation.
Combining new artificial intelligence technology with the more “traditional” method of photography, they create recurring patterns and with the help of a data set they create an increasingly complete original image of the damaged buildings.
In the virtual world, Notre Dame has been given a unique 3D visualization, which was designed and realized by the historical architect and Professor at Vassar University, Andrew Tallon.
If Notre Dame can be reborn from its ashes, perhaps in a few years, with the help of technology, we will be able to “touch” History itself up close.