Robotics aid Pompeii fresco restoration

Pompeii’s fragmented Roman frescoes are being given fresh prospects through an EU‑funded robotic system that assists archaeologists in reassembling thousands of delicate shards. Developed under the RePAIR project coordinated by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, the technology combines high‑resolution 3D scanning, advanced image recognition, AI‑driven pattern‑matching and twin robotic “soft” hands that can grip and position fragments with extreme precision without harming their fragile surfaces.

The system was demonstrated at Pompeii, where many fresco fragments — damaged by the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, wartime bombing, structural collapses and decades of storage — have long awaited feasible restoration. Teams used artificial replicas in trials to protect originals while testing algorithms that reconstruct patterns and colours often eroded or obscured, effectively solving a complex jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces and no reference image. Project coordinators liken the challenge to sorting and assembling multiple mixed puzzles at once, a task AI helps make practical by identifying matches humans might miss.

Robotic arms fitted with vision sensors and interchangeable flexible hands in two sizes locate, gently pick up and align fragments; machine‑learning models then evaluate potential joins by comparing textures, pigment traces and edge geometry. The approach accelerates a painstaking manual process that can take decades, enabling large‑scale reassemblies previously considered impractical. Demonstrations focused on significant sets, including ceiling paintings from the House of the Painters at Work and portions of the Schola Armaturarum, where early tests showed promising alignment and handling of shard replicas.

Developers and archaeologists stress the technology is intended to augment, not replace, human experts: conservators will remain central in interpreting artworks, assessing cultural context and making final restoration choices. Site director Gabriel Zuchtriegel and project leads emphasize that robotics will shift labour away from repetitive mechanical tasks back toward scholarly analysis and conservation decision‑making, potentially freeing specialists to study iconography, technique and daily life revealed by reconstituted panels.

Backers say RePAIR could transform restoration practices worldwide, particularly at heritage sites where fragment counts and fragility make manual reconstruction prohibitive. Beyond recovering lost compositions and colours, the method offers a scalable tool to preserve cultural patrimony threatened by time, conflict and environmental damage.