In “Hello! La Matinale TF1”, Anicet Mbida looks at an innovation that could transform archaeology.
- At Pompeii, in Italy, ancient frescoes damaged are being reconstructed using artificial intelligence and robotics.
- A recent technology, already in testing, that could save precious time for researchers.
What if the archaeologists of tomorrow worked hand in hand with robots? In “Hello! La Matinale TF1”, Anicet Mbida decrypts this ongoing revolution. “Technology is currently serving archaeology,” he explains, using the spectacular example of Pompeii. This ancient city, frozen by a volcanic eruption over 2,000 years ago, still holds many treasures and immense challenges. Among these challenges? Fragmented frescoes, damaged, sometimes lost. They are currently stored without a clear solution for restoration.
The problem is huge. “Imagine it’s like hundreds of 10,000-piece puzzles that have been completely mixed up and we’ve lost the model,” he illustrates. A monumental task, impossible to solve by hand. To address this, the teams have decided to use technology. “For a few weeks now, it’s been in service at the archaeological park of Pompeii,” explains Anicet Mbida.
A robot to reconstruct the frescoes
“We started by scanning, by numbering each fragment,” details the journalist. These data are then analyzed by an artificial intelligence capable of recognizing invisible patterns to the naked eye and proposing assemblies. A colossal task, recently launched on the site. Once the puzzle is virtually solved, a robot takes over. “We have a small robot (…) that will take the different fragments and try to reassemble the frescoes,” explains Anicet Mbida. Nicknamed “robot fingertip,” it manipulates these fragile pieces with extreme precision. The goal: to reconstruct sometimes gigantic works, spanning several tens of meters. A project that could make history, as similar fragments exist all over the world.
But should we fear the disappearance of archaeologists? “No, there is no chance,” he reassures. Because their role is not limited to assembling objects. “The essential work (…) is to explain their use (…) to give them cultural significance,” he recalls. An interpretation work that, for now, no machine can replace.
