3D Digitisation for Geological and Paleontological Specimens: Challenges and Solutions

This study outlines the methodology employed for the digitisation and visualisation in different 3D Virtual Environments (both web-based and desktop-based) of paleontological and geological specimens from the Geological Collection “Giovanni Capellini Museum”, part of the University of Bologna’s museum system. The digitisation process involved 87 objects of varying sizes, shapes, materials, and conservation states, following the proven methodology implemented within the Digital Twin of L’Altro Rinascimento’s temporary exhibition, developed within the PNRR project CHANGES (Spoke 4). This paper describes the pipeline adopted to address specific challenges encountered during the acquisition campaign of the diverse artifacts. A preliminary assessment was conducted to determine the most suitable technique for each object based on its size, shape, material, and conservation state. The study showcases different integrated techniques, including photogrammetry, structured light scanning (SLS), and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). The results demonstrate the flexibility and reproducibility of this approach, making it suitable for different heritage preservation and dissemination applications.