Scanning an invisible past in 3D

Lercari refers to himself as “a humanist computer scientist”. Together with his team, the holder of the Chair of Digital Cultural Heritage Studies at LMU uses light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology to document and plot 3D maps of famous World Heritage sites, such as the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkey and the ancient Mayan city of Palenque in Mexico. Supported by the Bavarian government’s Hightech Agenda program, his institute is one of a kind in today’s European university landscape thanks to its application of innovative technologies.

Meet Nicola Lercari: Research at the interface between the humanities and computer science.