Topcon has teamed up with CyArk to digitally preserve the Sogi power plant. The two companies plan to bring awareness to protecting cultural heritage sites. Photo: Topcon
Topcon Positioning Group unveiled data from its participation in the digital preservation of the historic hydroelectric plant in Japan at a special event held in Bonn, Germany. The event took place in conjunction with the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meetings.
Located in Isa, the Sogi power plant was constructed in 1909. At its height, the hydroelectric plant generated 6,700 kW of power. The Sogi plant closed in 1965 with the construction of the larger Tsuruda dam downriver. The new dam cause Sogi to flood seasonally, endangering the unique representation from the Meiji industrial revolution.
The plant is considered a significant contribution to the Meiji industrial revolution. It was mapped as part of the CyArk 500 Challenge – an international project to digitally preserve and create awareness of some of the world’s most significant cultural heritage sites.
The National Congress of Industrial Heritage, in collaboration with the Japanese government, nominated the Sogi plant to the CyArk 500 Challenge in December 2014. Topcon teamed with CyArk and the National Congress to develop a three-dimensional map of the site for future preservation and visualization.
CyArk archived the captured data and used it build an interactive online map of the site to promote the preservation and study of Japan’s industrial heritage.
“We are very excited for the digital preservation of the Sogi hydroelectric plant,” says Ben Kacyra, CyArk founder. “The CyArk 500 strives to connect the international heritage community in an effort to preserve and experience incredible places in a way previously impossible.”
Sogi power plant
Sogi power plant digitally preserved.
– By Angela Thomas, Equipment World
