Virtual Reconstruction
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The virtual reconstruction process has no precedent and is unique worldwide. It is a research project of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK).
It was developed by the FIPK team around Dr. Ing. Nikolay to replace manual construction. Since then, about 1.67 million sheets from a good 500 bags of the Stasi past have been reassembled in the manual reconstruction and sorted into the archive. Since 2007, a procedure for computer-assisted reconstruction has been developed in a pilot project. In the test phase since the end of 2013, around 91,000 pages from 23 sacks have been reassembled.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK) was already able to prove to the BStU in October 2013 that the "e-Puzzler" works.
A further developed computer programme and improved scanning technology with a more powerful scanner should lead to the automated digitisation of hundreds of thousands of scraps in a manageable period of time. Until now, shadowing and lack of colour fastness had to be calculated out again after scanning in order to be successful. Thanks to the scanning technology adapted to the vReko project, which is now in use, the snippets can be digitised faster and more precisely than before. Overall, however, the system is a complete success and unique.
A film about the Stasi reappraisal period of the former GDR led to the idea of a transfer. To apply this worldwide unique procedure to damaged and almost destroyed unique works of art history, where one does not know what they looked like before the destruction.
The Fraunhofer Institute has pointed out on its Internet site that museums and collections house over 100,000 such artefacts and that there is therefore a wide range of possible applications.
The publications of the Fraunhofer Institute show that, apart from the Stasi Aufarbeitung, the procedure for virtual reconstruction has already been applied to multiple fragmented multi-dimensional objects of chipped glass mosaic fragments in Buchholz Fürstenberg/Havel. The starting point for the IPK's work is the double-sided recording of the fragments to be reconstructed using a 2.5D scanner. In this process, all information relevant to the reconstruction is recorded, such as the motifs and outlines of each individual element. The illustrations of the assistance system and a drawing of the 2.5D scanner are taken from the website of the Fraunhofer Institute IPK.
Three micro-pictures (inventory number 1172, 1808 by Nikolaus Klammer (1769-1830) which were bought by Prince Johann I von und zu Liechtenstein for around 3000 guldens and belong to him have been stored in Austria for many years. Two of the three works, flower vases with bouquets, are currently completely destroyed. There are no pictures of what the micro-pictures originally looked like. These works were acquired in 1815 on the occasion of the Congress of Vienna. (List of purchases 1824)
Whether a virtual reconstruction of spatial parts in contrast to paper scraps is possible would have to be clarified with the research team of Dr Ing Nicolay of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology (IPK). The techniques for restorations after virtual restoration are available.
It might be possible to save the two shattered works of art after more than 100 years and restore them almost to their original condition, thanks to this unique and now tested and improved technology.
Two micro-paintings by Guiseppe Maria Bonzanigo were also shown in the program Kunst und Krempel on Second German Television a few years ago. All these works and probably more could be reconstructed and preserved for humanity.