AUTOMATA at PIONNIER (Nantes, 27th March 2026)
The AUTOMATA project was presented at the Séminaire PIONNIER, “Enjeux méthodologiques de l’IA dans l’étude du passé”, held in Nantes, France, on 27 March 2026.
Under the title “Pour une numérisation enrichie du mobilier archéologique à l’aide de la robotique et l’intelligence artificielle: le projet européen AUTOMATA par le prisme de la céramologie” (Towards enriched digitisation of archaeological artefacts using robotics and artificial intelligence: the European AUTOMATA project through the lens of ceramology), Amala Marx, Ariane Menu and Théophane Nicolas from INRAP introduced the project, its main activities and the methodological challenges it addresses.
Their presentation focused on the opportunities and constraints identified by ceramologists in relation to the automation and digitisation of archaeological artefacts. While characterisation, classification, comparison and typological matching remain central to archaeological research, new robotic and AI-assisted approaches are transforming existing practices.
The contribution highlighted how these technologies may open up new research questions and fields of investigation, while also requiring renewed working methodologies and closer collaboration between specialists from different disciplines. It also underlined their potential for the wider and more immersive dissemination of archaeological artefacts.
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