In 2003 KFF started a pilot project called CyArk to digitally document and preserve world heritage sites. KFF believed that new advances in the surveying and physical data acquisition fields coupled with advances in digital archiving and high speed data delivery on the world wide web made it technically and economically feasible to document in very high detail, accuracy and fidelity all physical aspects of world heritage sites for the purpose of digital archiving and preservation as well as dissemination.

KFF, desiring to encourage the use of such new technology in heritage preservation adopted the following:

Mission Statement

Preserving world heritage through the collection, archiving and open distribution of data using scanning, digital modeling, and other state-of-the-art technologies.

VISION

KFF’s vision was to collect and archive new very high detail and accuracy 3D physical measurement of endangered World Heritage sites to be used for site management, repair, restoration and reconstruction when and if necessary. Such data would also be made available on the web, to be accessed with ease by professionals, academics and the interested public alike.

PLAN

Because no known work aligned with the above vision existed in 2003, KFF undertook the creation of a pilot project to test the validity of the concept and the feasibility of achieving the objectives. The project was named “CyArk” and consisted of a small scale simulation of the intended ultimate worldwide network of partners to help with the data acquisition and a gateway website allowing public access to the archived data.

PILOT PROJECT SUCCESS AND SPINOFF

As mentioned above, KFF launched the CyArk Pilot Project to satisfy its mission in the field of 3D digital preservation of world heritage sites around the globe. The Pilot Project was very successful and KFF spun it off as an independent public foundation (www.cyark.org) in 2008. Cyark has digitally preserved over 200 major sites in 40 countries on seven continents through 2017.

 

UPDATE

In February 2018, CyArk launched its MasterWorks VR program, with Mesa Verde, Ayutthaya, Mount Rushmore and Chavin de Huantar, Peru, sites available for virtual-reality visitation via free Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR downloads.