Using a Combination of Micro-Computed Tomography, CAD and 3D Printing Techniques to Reconstruct Incomplete 19th-Century Cantonese Chess Pieces

As scanning technologies improve new approaches to digitizing cultural heritage artefacts emerge. The use of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) presents an interesting approach as it is capable of high-resolution scans of not just the surface of the artifact but also the intricate internal structures and volumes leading to more complete digitization than is possible with traditional surface laser scanning techniques. In this work, we investigate the potential to digitize heritage artifacts using micro-CT and focus on the methods of interacting with the datasets to create digital restorations of broken and incomplete pieces before printing physical replicas using 3D printing technology. We visualize the virtual models with clear identification of the new portions added by a digital artist with reference to existing pieces and archives.