Basilica of San Pedro arrives at Minecraft: an educational project with AI

Michael Sterpi, eleven years Minecraft. He has just stopped before the imposing Baldaquino of Gian Lorenzo Bernini to restore one of his four columns, forged in black solid bronze and overdied.

“This game is really great (…) I am restoring the Vatican,” said Aci Press exclaimed, without looking away from the screen.

This young man is one of the first to try Peter is Here: AI for Cultural Heritagean ambitious project made possible thanks to the collaboration between the factory of San Pedro, Microsoft and Iconem, a company specialized in the digital preservation of cultural heritage.

Through artificial intelligence (AI), 3D scanning and the analysis of more than 400,000 photographs, a digital replica of the basilica that respects its original architecture has been created, but with the characteristic pixelated style of Minecraftsimilar to Lego blocks.

With this video game, Michael and other young people can closely scrutinize the architectural details of the Baroque Baldaquino, located on the crypt where the Apostle San Pedro rests, as well as admire other works of art. In addition, they will discover the key moments of the construction of the Basilica of San Pedro, where every fresco and mosaic contains a secret to reveal.

In fact, this video game goes beyond simple digital recreation, since it offers students and players an innovative educational tool to explore the history and architecture of the Basilica of San Pedro, without traveling to Rome.

“Those who play with San Pedro may be based on the knowledge of their history, restore it and enter all their recesses to discover their secrets,” said the president of the San Pedro factory, Cardinal Mauro María Gambetti, at the press conference Peter Is Here.

“It is not just about observing: young people are called to participate in activities related to restoration and conservation, understanding the importance of protecting an invaluable value heritage,” he added.

To guarantee the maximum precision in the recreation of the basilica, the most advanced technologies in 3D, AI and capture of images have been used.

“We have thought about the youngest to perform this synergy between humanism and technology, by the hand of Microsoftfor the realization of this video game, which will offer boys an instrument to learn by playing and play learning, ”he said.

For his part, the secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, Bishop Carlo Maria Polvoni, stressed the cultural value of the project: “This tool will allow thousands, perhaps millions of students from all over the world to discover one of the great architectural treasures, a heritage of humanity that is the basilica of San Pedro, in full jubilee year.”

A video game with educational approach

In addition to allowing the free exploration of the temple, Peter is Here Integrate interactive missions where players solve problems, look for historical objects and perform restoration tasks. This mechanics converts experience into a didactic tool, ideal for classroom and learning at home.

Allison Matthews, director of Minecraft Educationhighlighted the importance of the 3D universe to “make it easier to understand the concepts, because you have practical experience with the world, which increases curiosity.”

In addition, he explained that the initiative not only allows to know the history of the basilica, but also to understand the importance of heritage conservation.

“Peter is Here It will invite students to explore the past and present of the Basilica of San Pedro through an interactive game. They will travel in time to discover the rich history of the basilica while performing practical restoration tasks, ”Matthews explained.

According to the director of Minecraft Educationthe game has been designed with the intention that players not only learn about history and architecture, but also develop critical thinking skills, problem solving and teamwork.

The restoration of San Pedro, the center of the video game

“‘We have placed the restoration work in the heart of Peter is Hereso students can assume responsibility for safeguarding cultural treasures and learning how AI tools can support that job, ”said Matthews.

The game also includes pedagogical resources designed to facilitate its use in the classroom. “We have also created a lot of resources ready for the classroom that educators can download to offer the expected learning results with this world,” he added.

In this sense, Italian Catholic schools will be among the first to integrate Peter Is Here In their curricula, with the intention that, later, institutions around the world are extended.

As Matthews explained, Minecraft Education It is an “educational tool that goes beyond mere game by allowing new learning opportunities.” Therefore, teachers will receive informative material about the Basilica of San Pedro, including workbooks so that students deepen their exploration of this emblematic temple of Catholicism.

MILIMETRIC PRECISION

To guarantee a reliable reconstruction of the basilica, advanced technologies such as laser scan, drones and artificial intelligence were used. These tools not only allowed each corner of the building, including those not opened to the public with millimeter precision, but also helped detect possible structural problems, such as cracks or missing pieces, thus contributing to their conservation.

The launch of Peter is Here It has been received with enthusiasm in the world of education in Italy. The head of the Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of Education, Mauro Antonelli, said that the initiative represents “a paradigm shift”, since it transforms the video game into an innovative pedagogical tool that reinforces Stem education and encourages multidisciplinary education.

The video game is mainly designed for schools, but there are also licenses available for families that educate at home and non -profit organizations. It can be downloaded from the App Store and the Play Store.