Article
4D Research Lab (4DRL) (UvA)
Digitising Visual Memories in Architecture and Cityscapes
The 4D Research Lab (4DRL) focuses on research and application of 3D technology for scientific research and education. The core of the work in this lab lies in virtual visualisation.
The 4DRL is a place where scientists, 3D modellers and ICT specialists come together and collaborate on inventive solutions for important (contemporary) research questions. The 4DRL’s field of work extends, but is not limited, to the entire humanities with a focus on historical architecture, archaeology, heritage and landscape.
The 4DRL has the expertise for collecting 3D data using various scanning techniques, whether or not in combination with drones, 3D modeling and the production of 3D output. Creating a 3D model is a form of experimental research, a cognitive process and a way to communicate ideas and hypotheses. 3D models applied in the research process become 4D models: dynamic models to which an extra layer of information is added through annotations, alternative visualization techniques or spatial analyses. Furthermore, 4D refers to the temporal dimension: the transformations over time that objects undergo as a result of physical and cultural influences.
Missiestatement
The 4D lab aims to:
- Promote the use of 3D technologies in the documentation, analysis and dissemination of academic research dealing with the material past.
- Assist in the development of methods that use 3D technologies in the process of research, rather than focusing on an end product.
- Achieve high academic standards for the publication of 3D visualizations.
- Underline the fact that academic researchers have a responsibility to society to supply visually accurate and academically robust models of the past.
Image credits
Header image: 4D Research Lab - Logo - UvA
Icon image: 4D Research Lab - Logo Small - UvA