Faith meets the future: How digital AI twins help preserve churches, temples and mosques

Digital twins, or virtual representations of physical entities such as manufacturing plants, buildings, temples, churches, mosques or cultural monuments, have been created over the last two decades using technologies such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) scanning and 3D mapping and photogrammetry - the process of taking images and stitching them together to create 3D models. Heritage Building Information Modeling (H-BIM) improves digital twins by providing accurate 3D models. For example, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTCI) and Tata Trusts worked with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for over a decade to restore Delhi’s Humayun’s Tomb and Nizamuddin Basti using laser scanners and 3D mapping. The Ministry of Tourism collaborated with Google for ‘Incredible India’ to create virtual tours of famous historical places.