ToScA North America (6 – 8 June 2017, The University of Texas, Austin, TX) Program

ToScA North America will address key areas of science, including Multi-modal Imaging, Geosciences, Forensics, Increasing Contrast, Educational Outreach, Data, Materials Science and Medical and Biological Science.University of Texas High-Resolution X-ray CT Facility (UTCT); Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin; Natural History Museum (London); Royal Microscopical Society (Oxford, UK)Geological Science

AR AND VR FOR ENHANCING MUSEUMS’ HERITAGE THROUGH 3D RECONSTRUCTION OF FRAGMENTED STATUE AND ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT

This paper presents the results of multidisciplinary research in which reconstructive digital modelling operates on different areas of heritage and at different scales to realize an analysis, interpretation, and communication experience in the field of museum valorization. It is, in fact, a work that includes both the philological reconstruction of the lost parts of a Buddha statue of Gandhāra, dating back to the second century b.C. and kept at the Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin, and its contextualization within a coeval architectural complex, recognized as philologically compatible, located in Balo-Kale, in the region of Gandhāra. The reconstructive models are finally used with communicative purposes for augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications inside the museum

A virtual world of paleontology

Computer-aided visualization and analysis of fossils has revolutionized the study of extinct organisms. Novel techniques allow fossils to be characterized in three dimensions and in unprecedented detail. This has enabled paleontologists to gain important insights into their anatomy, development, and preservation. New protocols allow more objective reconstructions of fossil organisms, including soft tissues, from incomplete remains. The resulting digital reconstructions can be used in functional analyses, rigorously testing long-standing hypotheses regarding the paleobiology of extinct organisms. These approaches are transforming our understanding of long-studied fossil groups, and of the narratives of organismal and ecological evolution that have been built upon them

Knowledge management for industrial heritage

All along history, humans have always invented, created to improve their standard of liv-ing. Many machines have been built, sometimes simple and others very complex. In order to achieve the best results for customers, machines, industrial plants and humans are moved, displaced and replaced. It is the global humanity technical knowledge that dis-appears. Indeed, there is a lack in the actually conservation methods: sciences and technologies have to be considered and not only architecture. Our heritage research focuses on the mechanical and technical point of view. For instance, in a factory, there is the building but also actua-tors, motors and machines that produce product: taking into account the technical point of view can reach to a better understanding of the past. That's why preserving the national technical patrimony has now become the priority of governments and world organizations. Our approach proposes a new kind of finality: as saving and maintaining physical object cost a lot for museums, and sometimes dismantling is impossible as the machine falls in ruin, we propose to preserve it as a numerical object. The aim of this research is to define the global process and technologies used for imple-menting a numerical model of old machines. The final aim is to constitute a new reference for museologic actors, using actual techniques and methods for putting old machines and technical means in “virtual use”, taking into account the working situation including human being at work. This process is illustrated by an example we performed: a steam engine

Parametric and Visual Programming BIM Applied to Museums, Linking Container and Content

In recent years we have been experiencing an ever-increasing number of Building Modeling Modeling (BIM) and Visual Programming Language (VPL) approaches in the architectural design field. These experiments have inspired new research strictly focused on exploring values, criticalities, and the advantages of applying these combined methodologies in the Cultural Heritage domain. This integrated approach has emphasized the benefits derived from HBIM. The next step is to critically evaluate the application of BIM and VPL processes used in the management and valorisation of museum heritage, pursuing both parametric and algorithmic approaches. The research group worked on building a model that shared the BIM hierarchical structure and the flexibility of the VPL methodologies. Semi-automatic procedures were developed within a rigorous BIM workflow, with the help of Autodesk and McNeel tools, to show and manage complex museum management phenomena. These procedures aimed to respond to three different objectives. First, the need to associate information from the Facility Report to the individual BIM components to predict and monitor the conditions in which museum collections are found. Second, the intention to measure the attractiveness of the artifacts within the exhibition project and the design effects for a correct prefiguration of visitor flows. Third, the elements involved included the exhibition area obtained from an HBIM model (converted into a visual field through interoperable processes), the digitized collections (the attractive elements), the users and, finally, the numerical evaluation of the visibility of specific objects within collections by simulating the human point of view. Once automated, the devised procedures can be considered a prototype to support curators in controlling and improving the efficiency of the exhibition layout

3D Modeling to Reconstruct a Paleontological Site: Museum of Casal de’ Pazzi in Rome

Today, 3D modeling allows the creation of sophisticated reconstructions in the field of Paleontology that until a short time ago could only be obtained with traditional techniques and hand-made drawings. An interesting methodological application is the Museum of Casal de’ Pazzi in Rome. In this case 3D modeling has allowed the reconstruction, starting from the discovery of some finds, an “Ancient Elephant,” a “Urus,” and a “Neanderthal Man”. Modeling was performed with the help of scientific data and experienced paleontologists and anthropologists. 3D models were completed with the “digital sculpting” technique, allowing a more accurate reconstruction of the shape and appearance of the animals and hominin. The models were subsequently used for multimedia and interactive communication, describing the history of the place where the Museum is located

La ricostruzione virtuale del paesaggio di Torre Guaceto (Brindisi, Italia)

This paper describes the design and development of mobile applications that use Augmented Reality technology (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to improve the dissemination of the archaeological evidence found at the State Nature Reserve and Protected Marine Area of Torre Guaceto (Brindisi); the finds are part of the Bronze Age fortified settlement of Scogli di Apani. In more general terms, they also help in understanding the natural and anthropic character of its coastal territory during the second millennium B.C.La pubblicazione descrive la progettazione e lo sviluppo di applicazioni per dispositivi mobili che sfruttano le tecnologie della Realtà Aumentata (AR) e della Realtà Virtuale( VR) finalizzate a migliorare la divulgazione e la comprensione delle evidenze archeologiche presenti presso la Riserva Naturale dello Stato e Area Marina Protetta di Torre Guaceto (Brindisi), facenti parte dell’insediamento fortificato dell’età del Bronzo di Scogli di Apani e, più in generale, indirizzate alla conoscenza dei caratteri naturali e antropici del suo territorio costiero nel corso del II millennio a.C

The Virtual Museum of the Tiber Valley Project

[EN] The aim of the Virtual Museum of the Tiber Valley project is the creation of an integrated digital system for the knowledge, valorisation and communication of the cultural landscape, archaeological and naturalistic sites along the Tiber Valley, in the Sabina area between Monte Soratte and the ancient city of Lucus Feroniae (Capena). Virtual reality applications, multimedia contents, together with a web site, are under construction and they will be accessed inside the museums of the territory and in a central museum in Rome. The different stages of work will cover the building of a geo-spatial archaeological database, the reconstruction of the ancient potential landscape and the creation of virtual models of the major archaeological sites. This paper will focus on the methodologies used and on present and future results.[ES] El objetivo del proyecto del Museo Virtual del Valle del Tiber es la creación de un sistema digital integrado para el conocimiento, la valorización y la comunicación del paisaje cultural, arqueológico y natural a lo largo del valle del Tíber, en la zona Sabina entre Monte Soratte y la antigua ciudad de Lucus Feroniae (Capena). Actualmente están en proceso de construcción varias aplicaciones de realidad virtual, contenidos multimedia, junto con un sitio web, a los que se tendrá acceso en diversos museos de la zona así como en un museo central ubicado en Roma. Las diferentes fases de trabajo se centrarán en la construcción de una base de datos arqueológicos geo-espacial, en la reconstrucción del paisaje antiguo y en la creación de los modelos virtuales de los sitios arqueológicos más importantes. Este documento se centra en la metodología utilizada, desgranado los resultados presentes y futuros esperados.Arnoldus Huyzendveld, A.; Di Ioia, M.; Ferdani, D.; Palombini, A.; Sanna, V.; Zanni, S.; Pietroni, E. (2012). The Virtual Museum of the Tiber Valley Project. Virtual Archaeology Review. 3(7):97-101. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2012.4396OJS9710137ADAM, J.P. (1988): L'arte di costruire presso i romani, Longanesi, Milano.CAMBI, F. (2004): "Le campagne di Falerii e di Capena dopo la romanizzazione", in Bridging the Tiber, London, pp. 75-102.COARELLI, F. (2009): "La romanizzazione della Sabina", in F. Coarelli et alii, "Falacrinae. Le origini di Vespasiano", Roma, pp. 11-17.DI GIUSEPPE, H. (2005): "Villae, villulae e fattorie nella Media Valle del Tevere, in Roman Villas around the Urbs: interaction with landscape and environment", in the Proceedings of a conference held at the Swedish Institute in Rome (September, 17-18, 2004), Roma.GROS, P. & TORELLI, M. (2007): Storia dell'urbanistica. Il mondo romano, Laterza, Roma.MORACHIELLO, P. & FONTANA, V. (2009): L'architettura del mondo romano, Laterza, Roma.PAROTTO, M. (2008): "Evoluzione paleogeografica dell'area romana: una breve sintesi", in Funiciello R., Praturlon A. & Giordano G. (ed) La Geologia di Roma dal centro storico alla periferia. Memorie Descrittive della Carta Geologica d'Italia, LXXX, pp. 25-39.SANTORO, P. (2006): "L'Etruria e i Sabini del Tevere: influenze culturali e commerciali", in Archeologia in Etruria meridionale, atti delle giornate di studio in ricordo di Mario Moretti (Civita Castellana, 14-15 novembre 2003), Roma, pp. 49-64.STERNINI, M. (2004): La Romanizzazione della Sabina Tiberina, Bari.TARQUINI, S., ISOLA, I., FAVALLI, M., MAZZARINI, F., BISSON, M., PARESCHI, M.T., BOSCHI, E. (2007): "TINITALY/01: a new Triangular Irregular Network of Italy", in Annals of Geophysics, nº 50, pp. 407-425.TARQUINI, S., VINCI, S., FAVALLI, M., DOUMAZ, F., FORNACIAI, A., NANNIPIERI, L. (2012): "Release of a 10-m-resolution DEM for the Italian territory: Comparison with global-coverage DEMs and anaglyph-mode exploration via the web", in Computers & Geosciences 38, 168-170. doi: doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2011.04.018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2011.04.018VITRUVIO, De Architectura

A new approach for preserving the technical heritage

International audienceAll along history, humans have always invented, created to improve their standard of living. Many machines have been built, sometimes simple and others very complex. In order to achieve the best results for customers, machines, industrial plants and humans are moved, displaced and replaced. It is the global humanity technical knowledge that disappears. Indeed, there is a lack in the actually conservation methods: sciences and technologies have to be considered and not only architecture. Our heritage research focuses on the mechanical and technical point of view. For instance, in a factory, there is the building but also actuators, motors and machines that produce product: taking into account the technical point of view can reach to a better understanding of the past. That's why preserving the national technical patrimony has now become the priority of governments and world organizations. Our approach proposes a new kind of finality: as saving and maintaining physical object cost a lot for museums, and sometimes dismantling is impossible as the machine falls in ruin, we propose to preserve it as a numerical object. The aim of this research is to define the global process and technologies used for implementing a numerical model of old machines. All along the global numerical chain, we will present the different technologies used illustrating them by examples we performed; those examples were experiences realized in France with museums and students in order to sensitize them to a new approach for old technical objects and machines. The global aim is to constitute a new reference for museologic actors, using actual techniques and methods for putting old machines and technical means in “virtual use”, taking into account the working situation including human being at work. From the digitalization of the physical object to its valorization with virtual reality technologies, we present a state of the art of the possibilities offered for creating digital products in a context of technical history and patrimony. According to this inventory, we give the methodology we are developing for preserving technical heritage in a virtual way. This process is illustrated by an example we performed: a steam engine