Augmented reality project brings Olympics birthplace to life

What would it beryllium similar to locomotion astir the past spiritual sanctuary of Olympia erstwhile the Olympic Games were held?

An antithetic concern betwixt Microsoft and Greece's Ministry of Culture and Sport is offering visitors the answer, providing an immersive circuit astatine 1 of the world's large archaeological sites that launched Wednesday.

The programme astatine past Olympia harnesses augmented world exertion that designers accidental has the imaginable to alteration education, concern and entertainment. Critics pass it besides volition widen the invasive powerfulness of U.S. tech giants.

The civilization ministry helped Microsoft representation and physique virtual representations astatine Olympia, a tract utilized implicit astir a 1000 years to big the games successful past Greece that served arsenic the inspiration for the modern Olympics.

Users tin circuit the tract remotely oregon successful idiosyncratic with an online presumption and an augmented-like mobile app astatine Olympia, seeing a virtual re-creation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. At the Olympic Museum successful Athens, they tin usage mixed-reality HoloLens headsets that overlay visual information connected apical of what the spectator sees.

• School students usage a mobile app astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• The representation of an past temple is reflected connected a mixed-reality HoloLens headset worn by depository technician Kostas Baskakis arsenic a projection of Ancient Olympia is seen successful the inheritance astatine the Olympic Museum successful Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. The installation is portion of a integer restoration task by Microsoft and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport astatine Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• Museum supervisor Xenia Vlahou watches a video projection of Ancient Olympia temple astatine the Olympic Museum successful Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. The installation is portion of a integer restoration task by Microsoft and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport astatine Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• School students usage a mobile app astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, center, and schoolhouse students usage a mobile app astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• School students usage a mobile app astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• School students usage a mobile app astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, and schoolhouse students usage a mobile app astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• A schoolhouse pupil scans a QR codification astatine the past tract of Olympia, southwestern Greece, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. Microsoft launched a integer restoration task astatine the past birthplace of the Olympic Games successful confederate Greece Wednesday to supply visitors an immersive recreation of temples and contention areas arsenic they locomotion done the ruins. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• Museum technician Kostas Baskakis, left, uses a machine astatine the Olympic Museum successful Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. The installation is portion of a integer restoration task by Microsoft and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport astatine Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

• Museum supervisor Xenia Vlahou uses mixed-reality HoloLens headset arsenic she stands successful beforehand of a standard exemplary of Ancient Olympia astatine the Olympic Museum successful Athens, Greece, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. The installation is portion of a integer restoration task by Microsoft and the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport astatine Ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games. Credit: AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis

Tilt up and a towering statue of Zeus plated successful ivory and golden comes into view; crook near and adjacent into the store utilized by the famed sculptor Phidias astatine the past sanctuary much than 2,400 years ago.

Microsoft started the task past year, scouring Olympia with drones and sensors, aft reaching an statement with the Greek authorities to physique 3 data centers successful greater Athens successful an concern to scope up to $1 billion.

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