Annual Report 2018
Applied Mathematics
3D TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO PRESERVATION
OF CULTURAL HERITAGE COLLECTIONS
The digitization of an ivory model of a Chinese junk at the National
History Museum contributed to comprehension of the importance
of using 3D technology for documentation, research and dissemination
of cultural heritage artifacts. A series of questions are highlighted about
the preservation of the rich national collection, helping to clarify how
technology can contribute to this task.
OBJECTIVE
.
To disclose the available technology and its potential use to support the documentation,
preservation and disclosure of cultural heritage artifacts.
To digitize a three-dimensional object belonging to the collection of Brazil's National
History Museum, an ivory model of a Chinese junk. This object was chosen because of the
technical challenges of its digitization as well as the historical importance and the rich
possibilities of its presentation to museum visitors.
RESEARCH METHOD
•
The initial phase involved dialog between the researchers in the area of computer graph-
ics and researchers of the museum about the potential and limitations of the technology,
in which the particularities of the items belonging to the museum were presented so as
to converge to a choice of the object to be digitized.
The approach used for the digitization of the junk, taking into consideration the chal-
lenges posed by the item, the limitations of the available technological solutions and the
restrictions of the setting, was a hybrid, using photogrammetry along with synthesis by
conventional 3D modeling.
The solution proposed for the digitization of the Chinese junk model did not rely on
specific digitization hardware, since it was based on photogrammetry and conventional
modeling, thus depending only on conventional photographic cameras and a technician
specialized in 3D modeling.
The 3D modeling software used was free, so there was no license fee. The cost only cov-
ered the payment of the hours worked by the technician.
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY
The utilization of technology expands the possibility of visiting the museum's collection,
which can be accessed remotely, besides presentation of in loco resources that enrich
visits and contextualize the history of the object.
The 3D documentation of the item chosen is highly relevant to the collection of the Na-
tional History Museum, because it offers digital options for its presentation, and given the
fragility of many of the objects, helps its conservation.
The project as a whole is an example of the multidisciplinary capability of museum re-
searchers regarding their collections, by mobilizing different areas of knowledge from
the human and exact sciences, generating different ways of producing knowledge and
enhancing expertise involving a museum object.
APPLICATIONS OF THE RESULTS AND POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS OF THE STUDY
The content produced for the website also is being used by the educational sector of the
museum in the case of group visits.
•
New efforts will involve searching for better methods to digitize intricately detailed sur-
faces using a combination of digital images and synthesized content.
A possibility that arose from the discussion with the museum team was using the pro-
posed technology to monitor the state of deterioration of some artifacts, more specifically
the tracking of how fissures and cracks evolve over time, and the impact of lending items
for display in other museums or venues. Doing this with inexpensive equipment such as
digital cameras is an interesting challenge and can be investigated by future studies.
RESULTS
•
A feasible path was opened for insertion and application of the technology in future ef-
forts for preservation and dissemination of museum collections.
A better understanding was obtained about the particular challenges faced by develop-
ing countries, like Brazil, to promote the use of digital technologies in the heritage sector.
These challenges include lack of understanding of technologies and of the nature of her-
itage collections and the shortage of adequate infrastructure.
A website was produced (http://barco.museus.gov.br/) that contains interviews with re-
searchers of the museum, as well as an interface in which the 3D model of the Chinese
junk can be rotated, indicating some points of special interest, including the decorative
motifs and the Chinese tradition of ornate carving.
The interviews address different aspects of the context of production and circulation of
objects made of ivory: the oriental influences in colonial Brazil; the modes and styles of
the Orient in society in Rio de Janeiro; the colonial trade in the Indian Ocean and east
coast of Africa; ivory carvings as art objects; and historical documentation.
AUTHORS:
Asla Medeiros e Sá and Paulo Cezar Carvalho.
RESEARCHERS:
Karina Rodriguez Echavarria, Rafael Zamorano Bezerra and Ricardo Guerra Marroquim.
ORGANIZATION:
School of Applied Mathematics (EMAP).
SUPPORT:
Applied Research Fund (FPA FGV), Cultural Informatics Research Group, Graphic
Computation Laboratory of the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute of Graduate Education
and Research in Engineering (COPPE), of Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ) and
National History Museum.
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Annual Report 2018
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RESEARCHView entire presentation