{"id":142059992830,"date":"2020-01-24T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2020-01-24T07:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sketchfab.com\/blogs\/community\/?p=142059992830"},"modified":"2020-01-28T16:22:32","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T15:22:32","slug":"lapid-using-3d-to-recover-heritage-lost-in-a-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sketchfab.com\/blogs\/community\/lapid-using-3d-to-recover-heritage-lost-in-a-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"LAPID: Using 3D to Recover Heritage Lost in a Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Beginning<\/h2>\n

At the beginning of the 2000s, an informal partnership was established between researchers of the Paleovertebrate and Egyptology sectors of the Museu Nacional<\/a>, the Divis\u00e3o de Desenho Industrial of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia<\/a> (DIVDI\/INT\/MCTIC), and the Cl\u00ednica de Diagn\u00f3stico por Imagem<\/a> (CDPI). Initially, the team focused on the acquisition of high-quality digital models of fossils of turtles (Podocnemis <\/em>sp.), crocodiles (Mariliasuchus amarali<\/em>, Stratiotosuchus maxhechti<\/em>), and dinosaurs (Staurikosaurus pricei<\/em>) for research purposes. Technologies like 3D scanning, Computed Tomography (CT scan), 3D digital modeling, and rapid prototyping were used.<\/p>\n

After successful initial experiences, the team decided to expand to other types of subjects: Egyptian mummies. Three items of the Egyptian collection of the Museu Nacional were digitized using a CT scan: the never-opened coffin of Sha-Amum-em-su, a human child (which, after the CT scan, was revealed to be a cat), and the head of The Beauty from Thebes (an unidentified mummified head that has been part of the collection since the beginning of the XIX century; the results of the CT scan revealed it was a young woman, but her identity remains a mystery).<\/p>\n

These experiments culminated in the creation, in 2002, of the Laborat\u00f3rio de Processamento de Imagem Digital (Lab for Processing of Digital Image \u2013 LAPID) as part of the Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia (Geology and Paleontology Department) of the Museu Nacional from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.<\/p>\n

In the years following its creation, the LAPID team started to diversify its areas of application. The Museu Nacional began to 3D digitize objects from its diverse collections, such as meteorites and vertebrate skeletons, including a humpback whale that was part of one of the museum\u2019s exhibitions. New partnerships were established and, today, our main partners are the aforementioned DIVDI\/INT and the N\u00facleo de Experimenta\u00e7\u00e3o Tridimensional (Tridimensional Experimentation Lab) from the Department of Arts and Design, Pontif\u00edcia Universidade Cat\u00f3lica of Rio de Janeiro (NEXT\/PUC-Rio).<\/p>\n

Purpose<\/h2>\n

Despite being part of a geology and paleontology department, the LAPID has always developed diverse projects in partnership with other departments of the Museu Nacional and other institutions. Because of that, the purpose of the lab goes beyond the acquisition of 3D models of fossils and rocks. Hence, the purpose of the labs is to use and develop 3D technologies for research and conservation of biological, paleontological, geological, and archeological heritage (and any other topic that comes to us). Parallel to these applications, the lab also eventually uses 3D technologies for artistic projects.<\/p>\n

Staff<\/h2>\n

The LAPID team is composed of researchers from different areas of specialization: biology, geology, archeology, and design. The team includes Ph.D., master, and undergraduate students who develop all kinds of projects, such as 3D morphometrics, paleoneurology, paleopathology, biomechanics, heritage conservation, kinematic studies of animal locomotion, and dance.<\/p>\n

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Technologies and Projects<\/h2>\n

CT Scan<\/h3>\n

One of the first technologies to be employed since the origin of the lab was CT scan because it allows non-destructive studies of the internal parts of collection items. For the paleontologists of the team, CT scanning allows the reconstruction and description of the braincase, inner ear, and aerial spaces located inside the skull of fossilized specimens of diverse species of vertebrates, such as crocodiles, turtles, and sloths. CT scanning was also used to digitize a block of rock brought from the field even before it was opened and mechanically prepared. After the digitization, the sediment could be digitally filtered and removed through a process that we call \u201cvirtual preparation\u201d. This digital process revealed an almost complete skull and mandible of a new species of crocodile that was later named Pepesuchus deiseae<\/em>. The \u201cvirtual preparation\u201d subsequently aided the mechanical preparation of the fossil.<\/p>\n

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