A Note on Macroscopic Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging Enabled 3D Scanning for Museum and Cultural Heritage Applications

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging method that can be used to study the surface features and subsurface structures of delicate cultural heritage objects. However, the field of view of OCT severely limits the system’s scanning area. Previously, we have presented a hybrid scanning platform combined with an imaging stitching algorithm to achieve macroscopic OCT (macro-OCT) imaging. This paper further demonstrates the potential applications of the OCT data by rendering 3D volumetric data into standard virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D printing formats. The 3D model can be 3D printed or interactively displayed through various platforms such as VR and AR headsets, smartphones, and web pages. The high-resolution 3D models obtained from the macro-OCT system can potentially improve the experience of accessing artworks online and assist individuals with visual impairments to study art through tactile feedback.