2024-05-05T01:51:03-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/84699552/cyark-s-500-challenge-aims-to-digitally-preserve-500-at-risk-cultural-heritage-sites-in-5-years Justine Testado 2013-10-23T15:14:00-04:00 >2013-10-23T15:30:19-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/un/unqtzfxygt6p0xgb.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p> Non-profit organization <a href="http://archive.cyark.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CyArk</a> and its partners are on an ambitious mission against time to digitally preserve 500 cultural heritage sites around the world before they are destroyed by natural disasters, human aggression, climate change, urban sprawl, and other threats. The "CyArk 500 Challenge" officially launched on Oct. 21 at the Tower of London and will continue for the next five years to create a fully detailed digital archive that can be used for future educational and research purposes.</p> <p> <img alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/u6/u6xga00ysq91scje.jpg" title=""></p> <p> <img alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/j7/j7ud8jb91u426e4h.jpg" title=""></p> <p> To survey the sites, CyArk uses a portable and precise 3D laser-scanning system invented by the organization's founder, Ben Kacyra, who launched the 500 Challenge. Ideally, the physical preservation of each of the world's cultural heritage sites would be possible. But as we all know, there isn't enough time or money and going digital has become the next best and quickest thing.<br><br><img alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/514x/2f/2feeiun3x8qc1hdn.jpg" title=""><br><br> So far, CyArk has digitally preserved 40 cultural sites including the Tower of London, the statues of Easte...</p>