Scantech (Hangzhou)’s 3D Digitization Project at Portugal’s Abade de Baçal Museum Featured by TVI

Scantech (Hangzhou) has recently been highlighted by TVI, one of Portugal’s most influential television networks, for its pivotal role in the 3D digitization of the Abade de Baçal Museum’s collections. This high-profile cultural heritage project utilized Scantech (Hangzhou) ’s 3DeVOK MT 3D scanner to enable the precise 3D capture of invaluable artifacts.

TVI (Televisão Independente) is widely recognized for its authoritative coverage of cultural and heritage projects in Portugal and the broader Portuguese-speaking world. Its feature on the Abade de Baçal Museum underscores the international recognition of Scantech (Hangzhou) ’s 3D scanning technology in cultural preservation, demonstrating how modern technology can support both conservation and global accessibility of historical treasures.

Digitizing a Century of History

Founded in 1915, the Abade de Baçal Museum is one of Portugal’s most significant cultural institutions. Its collection spans multiple eras, including prehistoric and Roman archaeological finds, religious and ethnographic artifacts, and ancient coinage. With nearly a thousand objects of immense historical value, the museum has long played a vital role in preserving and presenting the region’s cultural heritage.

In 2025, the museum celebrated its 110th anniversary, following a two-year comprehensive renovation that modernized exhibition spaces while retaining its historical charm. Alongside this reopening, the museum embarked on an ambitious digital preservation project, partnering with us to digitize its entire collection. This initiative ensures that future generations can experience the museum’s treasures even beyond physical boundaries.

Cutting-Edge Technology for Cultural Preservation

At the heart of the project is Scantech (Hangzhou) ’s MT 3D scanner, a professional device combining industrial engineering with innovative triple-light scanning technology. This advanced system offers multiple advantages that make it ideal for cultural heritage applications:

• Non-contact scanning:Delicate artifacts are digitized without any physical touch, eliminating the risk of damage.
• High precisionand resolution: With a maximum resolution of 0.1mm, the MT scanner captures even the most intricate surface details, reproducing the texture and form of each artifact with exceptional fidelity.
• Full-color 3D capture:The system records both shape and color, creating digital models that faithfully represent the visual and material characteristics of the original objects.
• Material adaptability:The scanner effectively handles challenging surfaces, including reflective, dark, or irregular materials, without requiring additional treatments such as powdering, thus protecting the artifacts’ integrity.

Thanks to these capabilities, the MT scanner successfully digitized the museum’s extensive collection, creating a comprehensive digital archive that will support long-term preservation, global access, and virtual exhibition experiences. These digital models also provide valuable resources for academic research, conservation planning, and public education.

Expanding Global Impact

The Abade de Baçal Museum project is part of our growing portfolio of international cultural heritage initiatives. The company has previously led major digitization projects, both in China and abroad, transforming irreplaceable cultural artifacts into permanent digital assets. Notable projects include:

• Sanxingdui Bronze Treesand other relics in China, digitally restored to preserve intricate details.
• The Yungang Grottoesand Feilai Peak, where scanning technology documented centuries-old stone carvings.
• High-precision, 1:1 digital reproduction of Lufeng dinosaur fossils.
• China-Egyptian archaeological collaborations, digitizing mummies, coffins, and statues for research and preservation.

Through these efforts, our company has demonstrated that 3D digitization technology is not only a tool for preservation but also a means to make cultural heritage more accessible worldwide.

Looking Forward

As 3D scanning technology continues to evolve, we remain committed to helping museums and cultural institutions digitize, study, and share their treasures. By converting fragile and irreplaceable artifacts into digital form, we ensure that cultural heritage can endure in the digital age, reaching audiences around the globe while protecting historical integrity.

The Abade de Baçal Museum project stands as a testament to how innovative technology can bridge history and the modern world, preserving cultural identity while inspiring global curiosity. With our technology at the forefront, the future of cultural preservation looks not only secure but also increasingly accessible to people everywhere.