Drones to help restoration of Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii

Advanced technologies, including drones equipped with sensors for aerial monitoring of areas inaccessible by more conventional means, are being used to help complete the restoration of the historical site of Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, partly reopened to visitors in the last few weeks.

The experts of the Seismic Engineering Unit and Natural Risk Prevention and Effects Mitigation Laboratory of ENEA (The Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development) are working jointly with the local Superintendence for Archeological Heritage on the investigation aimed at the structural restoration of a section of the domus still closed to the public.

The methodology developed by ENEA combines standard diagnostic techniques with high-tech methods such as low-altitude remote sensing, that is to say drones provided with conventional and thermographic cameras for the acquisition and processing of high-definition images, and vibration analysis to study the dynamic characteristics of the ground and the roof structures. The aim is to evaluate the state of conservation of the roof structures and define the necessary safety measures.

As of today, ENEA has carried out a first stage of the diagnostic investigation and drawn up a plan of intervention under an agreement with the special Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Pompeii, Hercolaneum and Stabiae, set up after a beam collapsed in the archaeological site in September 2012.

A new Agreement is currently being defined, broadening the scope of ENEA’s activities to include technical-scientific activities assessing the state of conservation and outlining future interventions on the roof structures, developing a monitoring and diagnosis system also applicable to other domus presenting the same roof typology.

For more information please contact:

Bruno Carpani, ENEA Bologna Research Centre, bruno.carpani@enea.it