Prague’s National Museum has unveiled a groundbreaking mobile digitization laboratory designed to preserve Ukraine’s endangered cultural artifacts amid ongoing conflict. The innovative system, dubbed Archa III (Ark III), consists of a Volkswagen van transformed into a high-tech studio equipped with an autonomous robotic scanner and three specialized cameras.
This advanced preservation technology can create hyper-realistic 3D digital replicas of historical items ranging from small artifacts to large museum pieces, both indoors and outdoors. According to National Museum director Michal Lukes, the system generates ‘precise digital copies that serve documentation, research, restoration, and potential reconstruction purposes.’
The Archa III represents the third phase of a comprehensive Czech preservation initiative for Ukraine. Previous deployments included Archa I, a container-based system for book conservation, and Archa II, designed for digitizing two-dimensional items. These efforts have already processed approximately 40,000 pages of historical documents, including newspapers rescued from the Regional Scientific Library in Kherson.
Museum IT director Martin Soucek explained the technical capabilities: ‘The robotic system moves along three axes and can capture thousands of high-quality photographs within minutes, creating detailed digital twins with exceptional precision.’
The project, developed in partnership with the foundation of Czech billionaire Karel Komarek, includes comprehensive training for Ukrainian experts and a dedicated website to showcase the digitized artifacts. The van is scheduled for delivery to Kyiv in early April, where it will be operated by Ukrainian cultural preservation teams.
Vitalii Usatyi, charge d’affaires at the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague, emphasized the significance of the mobile capability: ‘This technology can operate across Ukraine, including regions exposed to risks related to Russian aggression, which is crucial for preserving our cultural heritage.’
The urgency of such preservation efforts is underscored by UNESCO reports verifying damage to 523 cultural sites in Ukraine as of March 11, including religious sites, historical buildings, museums, and libraries.