IBM opens Forbidden City online

24th October 2008

Visiting the famous Forbidden City, a residence of Chinese emperors, located in the heart of Beijing, no longer needs buying an expensive trip to China.
IBM Corporation introduced an accurate three-dimensional copy of the palace, available to all inhabitants of the global network. The model has been created for three years within the project Beyond Space & Time. As you can see from the title of the project, tasks of the developers included re-establishment not only of geographical location, but also the specific era. Before immersion in the historical virtual reality the visitor will be offered to wear his own avatar out of nine national costumes.
Virtual tourists will be able to join one of the tour groups or independently roam the internal rooms of the Forbidden City, built over six centuries ago. When users get tired of exploring the palace, they will be able to take part in interactive entertainment.
Fans of 3D shooters and online RPG are sure to be disappointed by the fact that virtual visitors are prohibited to fly and even run, as all movements allowed in the Palace are slow steps.
The development of this three-dimensional model cost about $3 million. In the future, IBM plans to submit several other virtual exhibitions, including The Hermitage.