Releasing 3D LiDAR Scans of Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuaman, and Other Ancient Sites

November 2024. I'm standing at 2,430 meters on a ridge above the Urubamba Valley, staring at Machu Picchu. Like millions before me, I'm blown away. Unlike most of them, I have an iPhone with a LiDAR sensor in my backpack. I'd been annoyed for a while by how hard it is to find downloadable 3D data of major archaeological sites. You get blurry photogrammetry on Sketchfab, paywalled academic…