PREdictive digitization, reStoration and degradatIOn assessment of cultUral heritage objectS

Europe must proactively exploit markets in which it has strategic advantages in order to develop products that will make it a leading player. One such area is Cultural Heritage (CH). Having studied the needs of CH for a number of years, the project team is now in a position to propose breakthrough ICT solutions to the identified challenges:

a) the difficulty and inefficiency of the 3D digitisation process,

b) the quantification of stone monument degradation, and

c) the reconstruction of objects from large numbers of constituent fragments that may be worn, immovable, dispersed or incomplete.

Using a common core of geometric processing, analysis and retrieval methods, PRESIOUS aims at predictive geometric augmentation technology with the following scientific objectives:

a) On-the-fly auto-completion for 3D digitization that exploits similar template models to allow gradual shape prediction from partially digitized objects. Such a breakthrough system opens a whole new range of possibilities for decreased acquisition times and simplified procedures, leading to an order of magnitude reduction in effort and cost. This technology is a prime candidate for exploitation by our industrial partner.

b) Estimation and prediction of monument degradation. The project will investigate models for forward and inverse erosion prediction based on targeted high-accuracy surface scans, allowing one to essentially move the artefact's surface condition "back and forth in time" and visualize and measure the dynamic state of the deteriorating object. This tool is also likely to be applicable in areas outside CH, such as civil engineering.

c) 3D CH object repair. Automated, predictive reconstruction from fragmented CH objects that goes beyond reassembly by proposing the synthesis of missing parts using geometry auto-completion. This will aid the physical and virtual restoration process.