Christ of the Abyss meets Artificial Intelligence: MYWAI celebrates 71 years of the iconic underwater statue with a 5D digital twin in the NEPTUNE™ platform
On the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the placement of the Christ of the Abyss in the waters of San Fruttuoso Bay, MYWAI Srl, an italian AI startup based in the prestigious Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante, in the North West Riviera between Portofino and Cinqueterre, proudly announces the integration of the iconic statue into the 5D Digital Twin collection of its NEPTUNE™ platform — the first European system combining Artificial Intelligence and IoT to create digital twins for Underwater Data Awareness (UDA). This system enables the collection of data from robots, devices, machinery, and sensors during underwater inspections of archaeological, touristic, biomarine, and industrial sites.
The digital model of the Christ of the Abyss, created by partner IMMERSEA using advanced photogrammetry techniques, has been enhanced by MYWAI with AI-based neural rendering technologies such as NeRF and Gaussian Splatting, applied to underwater video footage.
The result is a high-fidelity 3D digital twin, integrated into MYWAI’s Underwater AIoT platform, which collects and geolocates environmental data from the seabed. This model allows for 4D temporal monitoring and 5D semantic enrichment through AI agents powered by LLM-based language models, similar to ChatGPT, but designed to operate locally in a secure and privacy-preserving manner. These agents provide insights into the artifact and its surrounding environment while ensuring protection of sensitive scientific data and controlled sharing.
Placed in 1954 at a depth of 17 meters, the Christ of the Abyss has long been a symbol of peace and remembrance for divers and visitors from around the world. Today, thanks to the NEPTUNE™ project, funded by Spoke 5 of RAISE – the innovation ecosystem for AI and Robotics, coordinated by the Italian Institute of Technology, University of Genoa, CNR, and Regione Liguria – this cultural treasure enters the digital age.
The NEPTUNE™ system, based on patented technology by MYWAI, enables real-time management of environmental data from ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) and reconstructs underwater environments on remote screens, where researchers and university students can study and interact with digital twins in an immersive and intelligent way.
The video of the Christ of the Abyss and the NEPTUNE™ model will be featured in the outreach materials being prepared by RAISE for the upcoming “Festival della Scienza”, offering the public a unique experience of enhanced underwater exploration.
“Winning the RAISE project and bringing NEPTUNE™ to life on such an iconic site for our Ligurian region is a milestone for MYWAI” , stated Fabrizio Cardinali, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of MYWAI, “ It marks the birth of Italy’s first underwater AI system for data awareness, where heritage meets innovation.”
“NEPTUNE™ is an extremely flexible solution,” added Marco Faimali, CNR-IAS director, Spoke 3 coordinator, “which, in collaboration with MYWAI and other partners, we are beginning to apply to Underwater Data Awareness and ecorobotics across multiple sectors — from intelligent biofouling management in industrial and dual-use scenarios to environmental DNA analysis in marine contexts.”
“NEPTUNE™ is a clear success story of our program,” concluded Cristina Battaglia, Program Manager RAISE, “providing tangible evidence of our commitment to applying Artificial Intelligence and Robotics to marine science through open innovation and collaboration with sector-focused startups.”
The NEPTUNE™ partnership is composed of MYWAI SRL, UBICA SRL, IMMERSEA SRL, NEXT VISION SRL, IIS – ITALIAN INSTITUTE OF WELDING and UNIVERSITY OF CATANIA, with the participation of the SICILIAN REGION – Soprintendenza del Mare, MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT – Portofino Marine Protected Area and OCEANHIS.
Cover Image
Homepage Christ of the Abyss on NEPTUNE™
Author: NEPTUNE™
Credits: NEPTUNE™ and RAISE
