A team of archaeologists from several universities has joined forces under the Reconstructing the Past: Artificial Intelligence (RePAIR) Project to, as its name implies, assemble antique artifacts using artificial intelligence (AI).

To physically rebuild ancient broken artworks — including 2,000-year-old frescoes from the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, which was destroyed by the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 CE — the team created an AI-based robot.

Source: The RePAIR Project

According to researchers, the RePAIR Project uses AI to solve puzzles, so to speak, examining the dispersed pieces of a Roman vase, for instance, and determining how they fit together while a set of robotic arms physically pieces the relic together.

The researchers suggest that the RePAIR tech eliminates a time-consuming and challenging phase of archaeological study, wherein researchers are tasked with assembling so-called puzzles whose pieces may be broken, faded, scattered or missing entirely.

Ultimately, the RePAIR team envisions that their technology will one day be able to autonomously accomplish intricate tasks from scanning through to assembly, with their robot eventually assembling relics overnight.

For more information on the RePAIR Project, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of RePAIR.