Key Points
- A new robotic system with AI is being used to reassemble shattered frescoes in Pompeii.
- The technology uses cameras to scan fragments and gentle robotic arms to handle the delicate pieces.
- AI helps solve the complex “puzzle” by matching patterns and colors that humans might miss.
- The project is being tested on frescoes destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, WWII bombs, and a building collapse.
Archaeologists are getting a high-tech helping hand to rebuild Pompeii’s shattered history. A new robotic system is learning how to piece together ancient Roman frescoes that were buried and broken for centuries, turning a frustrating puzzle into a solvable challenge.
The technology is part of an EU-funded project called RePAIR. It combines smart cameras, artificial intelligence, and a pair of ultra-gentle robotic arms to do the painstaking work of reassembling fragmented art. For years, this job has been a slow and delicate process done entirely by hand.
Researchers are testing the system on some of Pompeii’s most difficult restoration projects. These include ceiling paintings that were first damaged when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, then shattered further by bombings during World War II.
The robot is also working on frescoes from the “House of the Gladiators,” which collapsed in 2010. To avoid damaging the real artifacts, the team is using replicas during this initial phase.
The challenge is immense. One expert compared it to mixing several jigsaw puzzles, throwing away the boxes, and then trying to solve them all at once without knowing what the final pictures look like.
That’s where the AI comes in. It scans the fragments and finds matches in color and pattern that might be invisible to the human eye. Then, the robotic arms, equipped with soft, flexible hands, carefully pick up and place the pieces. This pioneering work could transform how restorers worldwide bring ancient treasures back to life.
