The Bangkok Digital Temples project is in its early phases. We are looking for a way to bridge education with heritage preservation, through the temples of Bangkok. We are making 3D models of particular temples which may be at risk of damage or flooding in the future as a preservation project. We also plan to incorporate this into class on Buddhism at Thammasat University, teaching students about Buddhist history and art through digital temple tours as well as engaging students with heritage preservation, while teaching them useful digital skills.
The project involved a lot of experimentation and, frankly, a lot of dead ends. However, making use of new technology such as Reality Capture’s photogrammetry software proved promising. The original idea was to develop a method for preservation and presentation using 3D models which amateur-level enthusiasts could make. Unfortunately, such a method is not quite there yet for a number of technical reasons. However, the Reality Capture method does approach being user-friendly and will likely be easier to use in the future.
So far, we have managed to develop a website as an educational tool. The website www.digitalthaitemples.com includes presentations on the history and artwork of particular temples in Bangkok, including videos and 3D models, 360 ‘tours’ and even quizzes for students. There is also some work by students. This project then is a work in progress. You can see some examples of the videos and 3D models below.