EAGER: Virtual Engineering for Conservation and Sustainability of Cultural Heritage

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this Early-Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) proposed research is to significantly broaden and extend the field of computational design to new application areas involving design and sustainability of natural and man-made artifacts. This award will investigate feasibility of making dramatic technological advances in the broad area of conservation of cultural heritage using methods and techniques of computational design and simulation-based engineering, with initial emphasis on conservation and safe installation of sculptures. The research will focus on computational challenges in support of digital acquisition, analysis, planning, assessment, restoration, conservation, and installation of sculptures. While individual tasks may appear to be similar to other engineering domains, the research issues in the area of cultural heritage are particularly challenging due to uniqueness, economics, aesthetics, fragility, and complex conservation history of the artifacts. The research will investigate the implications of these constraints on computational tools required to support conservation and sustainability of cultural heritage in the next century and beyond. If successful, the research is expected to be broadly applicable beyond sculptures and installations, leading to in situ analysis and rapid cquisition of physics for a variety of natural and man-made structures. In addition, the immediate beneficiaries of this research include museums, conservators, sculptors, university preservation degree programs across the United States. Strategic partnership between the University of Wisconsin and the J. Paul Getty Museum is a first step in this direction. The successful conclusion of this EAGER award will position the researchers to address the challenging research issues pertaining to in situ analysis and rapid cquisition of physics for natural and man-made structures, which could have tremendous societal and engineering impact.