Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)

The Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa hosts one of the most important osteological collections of cetaceans all over Europe, as well as a conspicuous paleontological collection, including several holotypes of Archaeoceti (archaic whales), Mysticeti (baleen whales), and Odontoceti (too...

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Main Authors: Marco Merella, Simone Farina, Patrizia Scaglia, Gaia Caneve, Giada Bernardini, Alice Pieri, Alberto Collareta, Giovanni Bianucci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Heritage
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/6/10/353
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author Marco Merella
Simone Farina
Patrizia Scaglia
Gaia Caneve
Giada Bernardini
Alice Pieri
Alberto Collareta
Giovanni Bianucci
author_facet Marco Merella
Simone Farina
Patrizia Scaglia
Gaia Caneve
Giada Bernardini
Alice Pieri
Alberto Collareta
Giovanni Bianucci
author_sort Marco Merella
collection DOAJ
description The Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa hosts one of the most important osteological collections of cetaceans all over Europe, as well as a conspicuous paleontological collection, including several holotypes of Archaeoceti (archaic whales), Mysticeti (baleen whales), and Odontoceti (toothed whales). In order to valorize these collections, we used 3D technologies to digitize the most relevant specimens, create an online archive, and make the resulting models accessible and shareable with the broadest audience possible through social media profiles and internet browsers. Tens of specimens were surface-scanned using a structured-light scanner, and the resulting 3D models were processed for post-production through the 3D software Blender whenever necessary. All the 3D scans were then gathered in the online repository Sketchfab, which was chosen for its user-friendly interface and common usage among museum institutions. The result is a web page that hosts 35 surface scans of extant and extinct cetacean specimens. This Sketchfab account was linked to the social media (Facebook and Instagram) profiles of the MSNUP to increase the visibility of the museum and promote the dissemination of its outstanding collections of modern and fossil cetaceans. The preliminary results of such an effort are encouraging in terms of views and online interactions. Hopefully, this effort of digitization and online archiving will soon extend to other vertebrate collections.
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spelling doaj.art-2463fa7640224225811088d9c656abe92023-11-19T16:38:40ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082023-10-016106762677610.3390/heritage6100353Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)Marco Merella0Simone Farina1Patrizia Scaglia2Gaia Caneve3Giada Bernardini4Alice Pieri5Alberto Collareta6Giovanni Bianucci7Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 4bis, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 4bis, 56126 Pisa, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, ItalyThe Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa hosts one of the most important osteological collections of cetaceans all over Europe, as well as a conspicuous paleontological collection, including several holotypes of Archaeoceti (archaic whales), Mysticeti (baleen whales), and Odontoceti (toothed whales). In order to valorize these collections, we used 3D technologies to digitize the most relevant specimens, create an online archive, and make the resulting models accessible and shareable with the broadest audience possible through social media profiles and internet browsers. Tens of specimens were surface-scanned using a structured-light scanner, and the resulting 3D models were processed for post-production through the 3D software Blender whenever necessary. All the 3D scans were then gathered in the online repository Sketchfab, which was chosen for its user-friendly interface and common usage among museum institutions. The result is a web page that hosts 35 surface scans of extant and extinct cetacean specimens. This Sketchfab account was linked to the social media (Facebook and Instagram) profiles of the MSNUP to increase the visibility of the museum and promote the dissemination of its outstanding collections of modern and fossil cetaceans. The preliminary results of such an effort are encouraging in terms of views and online interactions. Hopefully, this effort of digitization and online archiving will soon extend to other vertebrate collections.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/6/10/353archaeocetesdigitizationdisseminationextantextinctmysticetes
spellingShingle Marco Merella
Simone Farina
Patrizia Scaglia
Gaia Caneve
Giada Bernardini
Alice Pieri
Alberto Collareta
Giovanni Bianucci
Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)
Heritage
archaeocetes
digitization
dissemination
extant
extinct
mysticetes
title Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)
title_full Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)
title_fullStr Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)
title_full_unstemmed Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)
title_short Structured-Light 3D Scanning as a Tool for Creating a Digital Collection of Modern and Fossil Cetacean Skeletons (Natural History Museum, University of Pisa)
title_sort structured light 3d scanning as a tool for creating a digital collection of modern and fossil cetacean skeletons natural history museum university of pisa
topic archaeocetes
digitization
dissemination
extant
extinct
mysticetes
url https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/6/10/353
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