SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 24 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Astrid Pérez, the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, unveiled the virtual visiting project to the Chamber on Thursday, continuing its commitment to inclusivity following the removal of barriers a few months ago with the introduction of a subtitle system for individuals with hearing impairments.
At a press conference attended by Francisco Chávez, the Parliament’s head of Information and Communications Technology, she emphasised that the headquarters of the regional Chamber is a “significant building” that should be accessible to all Canarians who are unable to visit.
“This represents progress in bringing Parliament into people’s homes,” she explained, particularly underscoring the effort made to showcase the building’s distinctive features, which dates back to 1883 and was designed by Manuel de Oráa, along with its artistic collections that include permanent works by César Manrique, Pepe Dámaso, Pedro González, as well as 19th-century engravings and sculptures.
“It is crucial that individuals unable to physically attend Parliament can, from their homes, access this ‘app’ on their computers or mobile devices to experience this virtual visit,” she remarked.
Chávez highlighted that LIDAR technology has been employed to facilitate the tour, a task entrusted to a leading Silicon Valley firm specialising in this domain, which mirrors other virtual tours like those of the pyramids of Egypt or renowned museums such as MoMA, the Louvre, and the Natural History Museum in London.
He noted that the accuracy is “exceptionally high,” and what has been developed is a “digital twin” so true to life that it will be utilised by architects and engineers globally for research or to suggest modifications to the property.
In total, 486 locations within Parliament have been digitised, incorporating 729 million scanning points through LIDAR technology, which required the successful company two entire days of work to complete.
Chávez also remarked that the virtual tour accommodates the use of 3D glasses and the option to generate “very high-quality” replicas.
