The Rundown Robotics: Pompeii’s shattered frescoes

ROBOTS FOR GOOD
🎨 Robots rebuild Pompeii’s shattered frescoes
Image source: RePAIR
The Rundown: Robots are piecing together Pompeii’s shattered frescoes — one fragment at a time. The RePAIR project deploys machine vision and pattern-matching algorithms to reassemble thousands of broken artifacts gathering dust in storerooms.
The details:
The system scans and digitizes fragments, then uses AI to detect subtle patterns that human eyes miss across thousands of pieces. Robotic arms handle the delicate reassembly work that once took conservators years to complete manually. Installed at Pompeii’s Casina Rustica, the robot has already restored frescoes from the House of the Painters at Work and the gladiators’ training hall. The system is designed to augment, not replace, human experts — handling the puzzle work so archaeologists can focus on higher-level interpretation.
Why it matters: RePAIR represents a rare leap from digital to physical. While major museums use AI for restoration, few systems actually reassemble physical fragments robotically. If RePAIR proves scalable beyond Pompeii’s frescoes to mosaics, pottery, and statues, it could unlock millions of artifacts gathering dust in museum storerooms
Unknown's avatar

About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a comment