3D Digitalization of selected specimens of the Anthropology and Ethnology Museum of Florence with Artec Spider

Tridimensional imaging methodologies are becoming more widely used in museums and cultural heritage studies. They are often used in association with graphic counterparts such as virtual or augmented reality and 3D prints. 3D data obtained with these techniques are acquiring increasing utility in various museums, from conservation to public dissemination. Here we test the efficiency of 3D scanning using Artec Spider on various types of museum specimens in. Here we report the results of exploratory tests of 3D scanning on different artifacts belonging to the collection of the Anthropology and Ethnology Museum of Florence using Artec Spider devices. The specimens differed not only for their provenance and culture of origin, but more importantly, for the materials they are made of. Results are in general more than satisfactory, with both geometry and texture acquired correctly and with great visual impact. Some materials (e.g., thin, or made of tiny separated components were somewhat problematic. Nevertheless, Artec Spider appears to be better than many other 3D scanners (e.g., Next Engine) in terms of time and quality of the acquisitions. Further tests on other materials, or with other scanning techniques, would add to current knowledge on the increasingly important application of digitals tools and methodologies in museum settings.