Livio de Luca, lauréat de la Médaille de l'innovation 2019

On the occasion of the 2019 CNRS Medal for Innovation award, we look back at the career of Livio de Luca, a researcher in the digitisation of cultural heritage. Originally trained as an architect, then obtaining a degree in Arts and Crafts and Computer Science, Livio de Luca defines himself as a researcher in the digitisation of cultural heritage. Now director of the Models and Simulations for Architecture and Heritage laboratory (CNRS/Ministry of Culture), this CNRS researcher began his work as part of the Ministry of Culture's 3D-Monuments programme, introducing experimental methods for the simulation of historical buildings, such as the Petit Trianon or the Château Comtal in Carcassonne. He was later involved in the digital reconstruction of the Pont d'Avignon, as it stood in 1350, 1675 and in its current form. In 2013, his work also resulted in Nubes, a 3D information system for the historical study and analysis of the state of preservation of buildings. Livio de Luca also assisted in the creation of the Mercurio start-up, which specialises in modular solutions for the 3D digitisation of museum collections. In 2018, his work was applied to the world of collaborative science with Aïoli, a platform that brings together all cultural heritage actors. Users can add their own photos and notes on heritage objects, further improving the digital version of the heritage object in question. In return, numerous notes and images on the subject can be consulted, and spatialised in 3D, for all types of screens. Livio de Luca is now coordinating the CNRS working group on digital data for Notre-Dame de Paris.