The 4DRL brings together researchers, 3D specialists and technical experts to develop innovative approaches to complex research questions. Its expertise spans archaeology, heritage, historical architecture and landscapes, with particular strengths in digital and forensic archaeology, conflict and contested heritage, and the documentation and interpretation of cultural heritage.
The lab has extensive expertise in the acquisition of 3D data using photogrammetry and a range of scanning technologies, including drone-based recording, as well as 3D modelling, spatial analysis and the development of interactive and immersive applications. Outputs range from annotated 3D models and web-based visualisations to virtual environments, simulations and extended reality (XR) applications.
At the 4DRL, 3D technologies are regarded as more than simply methods for producing digital representations. Creating and working with 3D models is itself a form of research: a process through which data, interpretations and hypotheses can be explored, tested and communicated. Models become 4D when they incorporate additional dimensions of information and analysis, such as through annotation, alternative reconstructions, spatial analyses, simulation, or the representation of change through time. The temporal dimension is particularly important for understanding how objects, sites and landscapes are transformed by physical, environmental and cultural processes.
The lab increasingly focuses on the role of digital technologies in the study, documentation, interpretation and communication of conflict and contested heritage, ethically sensitive contexts, and heritage threatened by climate and environmental change. This includes the use of 3D and spatial technologies to document vulnerable heritage, monitor and analyse change over time, and investigate the impacts of climate change and other environmental processes on sites, objects and landscapes. Alongside these applications, the 4DRL critically examines how digital methods shape knowledge, access and representation, and develops new approaches for research, professional training and public engagement.
Contact
For initial enquiries about the 4D Research Lab, facilities, collaborations or project possibilities, please contact the Coordinator.
