Microsoft recovers ancient Olympia with AI in 3D and augmented reality

The collaboration between the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and Microsoft has resulted in the project Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds, in which, thanks to its AI technology, thousands of images captured by the company's cameras and drones have been processed Icon to offer a unique immersive experience.

Recognized as World Heritage for UNESCO from 1989, the archaeological site of Olympia, on the Greek Peloponnese peninsula, takes another step in its preservation and recovery thanks to the project Ancient Olympia: Common Grounds; a new initiative resulting from the collaboration between the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Greece y Microsoft.

“The project to digitally revive ancient Olympia is an impressive achievement in cultural heritage, that unites humanity and cutting-edge technology to benefit the world and empower coming generations with new ways to explore our past.”, has pointed out Brad Smith, president of Microsoft and vp. of the board of directors.

Technology and historical legacy

Within the framework of the program AI for Cultural Heritage, why Microsoft provides its support to organizations to preserve culture, language and history through partnerships and investments in AI technology and resources, the company partnered with the company Icon, specialized in digitizing historical sites in 3D to create the model of ancient Olympia.

During the process, and together with the data provided by the experts of the Hellenic ministry in archaeological research, were used ground cameras and drones to take hundreds of thousands of images from the site, who then processed the Microsoft AIt to create models so precise that they render as photorealistic.

As a result, Users can explore ancient Olympia as it stood more than 2.000 years through a immersive experience which allows them to interact virtually with the buildings and elements of the site, as well as access information on the historical context.

As you have pointed out Kyriakos Mitsotakis, prime minister of greece, “Common Grounds is a unique way to experience Greece's proud cultural heritage. “Visitors from around the world can virtually visit the ancient site of Olympia and experience history first-hand using augmented reality technology.”.

Monuments and Games

Although the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports has carried out meticulous restoration work, to ensure that all that evidence from one of the most enriching periods in history, Just as the common civil values ​​on which the site was built reach future generations, its digital reactivation has been necessary..

They have been digitally recovered until twenty seven monuments important places in the cradle of the Olympic Games and home to one of the most prestigious sanctuaries of Antiquity. Among them, the original Olympic Stadium, the temples of Zeus and Hera, the workshop of the sculptor Phidias, the Nymphaeum of Herod Atticus and the triangular pedestal of the winged goddess of victory Nike.

Also, they have been recreated the five days of celebration during the month of August of the ancient Olympic Games, from the Opening Ceremony to the Procession of Champions to the Temple of Zeus, passing through youth and equestrian competitions, racing, fights...

In the same way, Common Grounds collects the most important rituals of the emblematic city, In addition to the idea of ​​concord or ekecheiria, diversity and harmony of a unique event that was resumed in 1896, when the modern Olympic Games began in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.

How to experience ancient Olympia

Digitally recording and accurately representing all the details of daily life in ancient Olympia has been no easy task.. In the 3D experience, accessed through development for computers and tablets, buildings are recreated with realistic details, Thoroughly researched by archaeologists from the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports to be as faithful as possible to their original forms.

Users can also contribute to the project sharing reflections (via text or voice), displayed on a world map to create bonds around the values ​​of equity, equality, paz, excellence, cooperation and respect extolled in mythological Olympia.

For your part, The application provides a augmented reality experience that brings monuments to life on a real-world scale and allows you to explore the interior of buildings, like the temple of Zeus, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Finally, in one's own Athens Olympic Games Museum A free immersive exhibition has been enabled with Microsoft HoloLens 2 in which visitors are transported to 173 a.C. to enjoy a multisensory tour surrounded by views, sounds and virtual monuments from the Ancient Games.

In all cases, viewers can interact with that extensive network of ruins digitally reconstructed and take a look at daily life in the structures where citizens gathered, They socialized and conducted business during the Games.