The digitization of museum collections for research, management and enhancement of tangible and inta

These are the first thought of a research project between POLITO, University of Salamanca and Egyptian Museum, with the aim of using BIM approaches in museums, not only limiting itself to the informed modelling of the container, but replicating similar approaches that link geometries and data also for collected objects, looking for a link between them. Which outcomes: to make the management easier, also for dissemination purposes, for the recording of the behaviour of the users of the museum space, and subsequent application of algorithmic approaches for the prefiguration of new installations. In the different themes we recognize the centrality of data, metadata and paradata oriented towards a clear classification system, which can be replicated and implemented as a fundamental support for the interoperable processes that characterize the object of the research.

In this slide the main actors of the museum experience are highlighted:

Building - the container Collections - the content Users – visitors

Normally, the relationships between the main subject are manifested through the exhibition (visitor/content); the layout where the curator organizes the collections in the spaces and the itineraries where visitors orient themselves within the museum spaces.

The dashed circle shows how digital technologies allow an increased experience, giving a new connotation to the displayed features.

the relationship between container and content will happen when there is an exchange of information between these entities.

The question is, how do we load the information into the models and, what types of information should we share to trigger the dialogue?

Today, specialized software allows to create architectures combining architectural objects in which dimensional parameters and attributes are included. Therefore, architecture is always identified by building components and information.

We are talking about informed models, but not related to the building ....... .......... but to the Collections, so with a new abbreviation, C. I. M. (Collection Information Modeling) we could indicate that sequence of procedures and tools for the digitization and data enrichment of the artifacts contained in the museums.

Our case study are 11 physical models (maquettes) houses in The Egyptian Museum, that are the reproduction of Nubian temples .The models are dating back to the early 1800s

All The data are then linked to the digitized model to allow subsequent experience and knowledge in a digital space.

In summary, C I M procedure foresees two phases for the construction of the informed model:

A phase of shape modeling - 3D modeling and A phase of data modeling - Data modeling

The phase of data modelling is extremely sensitive, because the mapping of information, for the construction of a large digital database, must be done by means of a shared language, that makes the communication between container and content, easier.

the 3D modeling phase is characterized by a topological control of the acquired shape,

Data from different databases (content and container) must be mapped to trigger a dialogue and make more efficient the organization of museum spaces and the well-being of the artworks.

So It makes necessary to organize databases with an appropriate computer ontology so to solve engineering problem of knowledge integration between museum and collection databases, we will adopt the Conceptual Reference Model (CRM) developed by the International Committee for Documentation (CIDOC).

The integration of CIDOC-CRM provides, the definitions and a formal structure to describe concepts and relationships between the museum and the collection documentation.

Through programming processes it is then possible to create interactive multimedia contents to put on the web, where user is able to deepen the morphological aspects and informations of the acquired models.

A place to highlight the parts that compose the collected artifact, creating a sort of semantic identification, but also create tags and link to multimedia contents for a contextualization and a wider knowledge of the collections.

Also, collection objects digitized according to the C I M procedures, can be used for design purposes to support the work of exhibitor. New tools will help him to relate the Collections data with the Building data.

After mapped the information contained in the BIM and CIM models, and having identified comparable common parameters in a digital environment, the curator can prefigure the setting up of the acquired objects. The informed representation allows the connection of information between container and content. The interaction between data can highlight a condition of well-being (biing) of the works within an exhibition environment.

Therefore, once the conditions of well-being have been established, it is useful for a curator to prefigure the paths of the users within the space, highlighting the critical points where the flow of users will find problems.

So let's think at the collected object as a sort of attractor point for which to evaluate the magnetic weight. For this reason we must identify the parameters to understand the attractive-ness of the object within the museum rooms.

The first parameters we are investigating are: Dimensions The times (that) the object has been mentioned in a web research Number of people which sow it in a previous exhibition Historical Significance Artistic Significance And much more…….

So The set up of the space, generates a domain of action in which events happen. The events are triggered by the object displayed which, in relation to their weight, It create a field. The field is a non-homogeneous space but composed of attractive points with different weights that influence it.