Scoping a Data Service for Complex 3D Data in the Arts and Humanities

This project will address an existing gap to support researchers and practitioners communities working with complex 3D data, including data related to material and digital cultures, to enhance the national data services for arts and humanities. This existing gap is rapidly growing as digitisation hardware and tools become more accessible for arts and humanities researchers to use within the research process. Examples of data include 3-dimensional (3D) data resulting from born-digital materials and systems (i.e. Virtual Reality environments), as well as processes such as 3D modelling, structure from motion, (also known as photogrammetry), 3D scanning. It also includes other imagery resulting from non-invasive digital imaging such as computerised tomography (CT), multi and hyperspectral imagery, pigment analysis, and optical microscopy. As such, there is an urgent need to provide community-led services, as opposed to private industry tools, for researchers to use. The research will use a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to investigate and address the needs of current and future researchers. Hence, the project will be community-led with interdisciplinary academics and practitioners leading the various activities. Institutions involved include the University of Brighton, Kings College London, University College London, University of the West of England, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, University of Dundee, Duke University (US), The National Archives, Historic Environment Scotland, British Library, Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, and the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)-3D community. Five activities will be co-developed by this team including establishing user requirements, evaluating existing solutions, in particular the MorphoSource 3D repository, financial planning, developing of the specification as well as communicating and disseminating with stakeholders the various projects activities and outputs. The outcome of the research will be a published fully costed specification for design and develop an innovative interoperable Trusted Data Repository and Service (TDRS) that will provide enhanced capabilities for research using complex 3D data and for putting research outputs into practice within various sectors, including the GLAM and creative industries. The project will also identify skills and capacity building required by the community.