The American company Microsoft has partnered with the French Ministry of Culture and the local company Iconem to create a digital twin of the recently restored Notre-Dame Cathedral.
This innovative project aims to maintain an accurate virtual representation of the monument, essential for its future preservation.
According to a Microsoft representative, the method involves using a multitude of fixed and mobile cameras, as well as drones, to capture thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of photos of the site.
A sophisticated algorithm then processes all these images to reconstruct a detailed digital model, called a "point cloud", which reproduces the shape and color of the monument in its finest details.
Microsoft and Iconem are not newcomers to this field: they have already collaborated in Rome on the creation of a digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica. Their expertise is part of a broader initiative, which also includes the establishment of a new Notre-Dame museum, announced in 2023 by President Emmanuel Macron.
This museum will house a virtual replica of the cathedral, accessible from all angles and heights, allowing visitors to discover Notre-Dame like never before.
This project will make the digital model accessible online, thus offering a valuable tool to heritage specialists to monitor the condition of the cathedral over time and plan possible conservation interventions.
These advances are a logical continuation of the post-fire restoration work, offering a way to preserve the history of Notre-Dame in a sustainable digital form.
