Arius Technology
The Richest Data Capture System in the Art World
The Arius art data capture and analysis technology has a stellar pedigree. It was developed from a system created for the forensic analysis of the Mona Lisa by the National Research Council of Canada in collaboration with The Louvre. It has been used in the authentication of a DaVinci sculpture and the digital restoration of paintings including important works by Monet and Turner.
Arius engineers, in consultation with world renown conservators, have refined and perfected the technology into the platform of choice for capturing the true colour and surface dimensions of art objects. During digitization, hundreds of millions of measurements of the painting surface are taken without ever touching the painting. Each data point simultaneously captures the colour and geometry of the painted surface to an unprecedented level of detail: surface data points are as fine as 100 microns, and the depth of brushstrokes is captured to 10 microns, or one-tenth of a human hair.
Much time and thought has been put into the care needed to handle precious works of art. Our robotic data capture system has built-in redundancy and safeguards to ensure works are handled according to best conservation practice. Paintings are always kept perpendicular and never laid flat. The Arius low light laser has been designed to limit light exposure to the equivalent of one hour under museum lighting. As the Arius platform is a modular system, other data capture technologies can be integrated within the robotic platform to enrich the data set. Our proprietary portable system means paintings never have to leave the safety of a museum or storage facility.
We enable collectors and museums to confidently digitally archive masterpieces that are beginning to fade and perish. Our digital records of paintings are a cultural seed bank for the future, ensuring the minutiae of priceless works are stored for future generations in case of damage or loss. The richness of the Arius data enables condition analysis at a level unseen by the human eye and can be used to prevent further degradation and aid restoration. A combination of sophisticated software and pigment degradation knowledge provides the ability to digitally correct for colour loss.
Arius engineers are able to translate the complex data enabling integration with the latest elevated printing technology to produce highly accurate textured prints. This next-generation print technology can also be used to enable contemporary artists to create textured original edition Elegraph™ prints combining their physical medium of choice with advanced digital iteration.
Looking to the future, Arius is using the complexity of the data captured to create an industry standard secure digital signature for authentication of art. This art equivalent of a VIN number for a classic car could underpin essential provenance records without the need for a physical tag or surface contact.
