Cave Painting Preservation Done With 3D Laser Scanning Services

Fugro is a company based in the Netherlands and focused on collecting geological data from land and sea. They use 3D laser scanning services to help collect important information on a scene and work on projects all over Europe. For example, they recently were rewarded with a new contract from The French Ministry of Culture to scan the famous Cosquer Cave in France that contains paintings and engravings from 27,000 BCE. 

This cave needs to be scanned because it is located in Urgonian limestone at Cap Morgiou near Marseille. This area is slowly becoming a risk to the rising sea level in the area. If they do not record and digitally preserve the carvings now, we risk losing them forever. The team set on this project will use 3D laser scanning services and lighting technology to capture the cave’s layout accurately and digitize the carvings. One hundred seventy-seven pieces of artwork are irreplaceable and one of a kind. By creating a digital record, it will help keep the history preserved for future kids. 

Fugro has also partnered with a diving company to help get below the surface of the water. Anything above the water will get recorded with the 3D laser scanning equipment in full color. Once the entire space has been scanned, they will create a 3D map and virtual space of the cave system. Archaeologists will look through these digital images and study the past and how people used to live. In addition, they will be able to add greater insights to help save information for the future. 

How 3D laser scanning is best for virtual reality

One of the main goals of this project is to preserve the information digitally. 3D laser scanning is one of the best tools to create virtual reality because it allows accurate information to be captured. 

Furthermore, it collects millions of cloud points that can be transferred to the partnering system, which can be developed and edited into a 3D image. From there, a developer can take the time to create a virtual space that will allow someone in the future to walk in somewhere and see the caves as they are today. 

Why 3D laser scanning is good for history 

One of the reasons so many people choose to adopt this technology is because it is one of the best ways to preserve artifacts. It is a non-invasive approach to collecting information and creating replicas of the artifacts. There is no need to move or take apart anything with the use of these tools. The best thing about using 3D laser scanning is that when paired with 3D printing, physical copies can be printed that are exact matches to the original. 

Final thoughts on 3D laser scanning services

3D laser scanning is emerging in unsuspecting ways and has led to some fantastic achievements. These caves may not be able to be saved from the rising sea, but they will digitally preserve the caves for our future children to learn about. This is just as important and will ensure the history lives on.