Every detail at your fingertips
Tactile Detail Tables allow the faithful three-dimensional reproduction in the round or in bas-relief of parts of a work of art or an archaeological find, but they can also be used to reproduce an architectural detail to scale. These tools can enrich the museum itinerary by expanding the experience of visitors by allowing them to delve deeper into the analysis of particular valuable elements of the collection.
The technology behind the creation of such panels is often based on 3D scanning of the objects, followed by high-quality three-dimensional printing or reproduction through other appropriately chosen technologies. Alternatively, bas-relief is created through techniques that accentuate essential contours and distinctive details, providing a simplified but effective representation of the object. The addition of Braille descriptions and explanatory text completes the experience, making the content usable even for those with visual impairments.
The desire to offer tools that enable as many people as possible to experience a fulfilling and satisfying experience guided and inspired the shape of these tactile tables, adopting original solutions developed through the fruit of the work and experience gained by our team over many years of working on these issues.
I tactile tables proposed by CITISLAB are presented as an innovative solution in the long-standing search for methods and supports that can promote theaccessibility within museums and exhibition areas and offer opportunities for inclusiveness in visitor paths. Our products, in fact, do not specifically target users with special needs but are by their very nature created for any type of visitor using easily understandable forms and language.
I DETAIL TACTILE TABLES are made up of the three-dimensional full-round or bas-relief model of the object through which visitors are offered the opportunity to understand and analyze in detail the work or artifact that due to its protection and by virtue of its preciousness would not have been accessible.
Tactile tables and production methodologies
The reproduction in bas-relief and that in in the round are the most immediate and widely used methods of tactually translating the shape of an object that cannot be directly experienced. These tools allow, not only people with visual impairments, to define the shape of the buildings themselves and deepen their understanding of the space in which they are located.
The tactile tables that CITISLAB develops possess all the features dictated by the rules of good execution of typhlological tools that make them effective and universally accessible the sign, such as: correct implementation of reliefs and braille writing, preparation of simplified drawings but with non-superficial content, clarity in the contour lines of the figures, and respect for the proportions of the elements. In addition, the tactile tables we propose comply with current laws and regulations regarding usability of places and overcoming and eliminating the architectural barriers.
In designing our tactile tables the challenge we set ourselves was to study an accessible language capable of rendering, as closely as possible, the architectural reality around us as faithfully as possible. Particularly for this type of tactile tables, it is important to respect the proportions between parts and the correctness of scale reduction of models and plans.
The material with which to make the model will be chosen according to the characteristics of the object to be reproduced with the aim of obtaining the most faithful reproduction possible, also in relation to the tactile experience of the original material. Therefore, the most suitable technologies will be used in relation to the type of material (3D printing, CNC milling, laser cutting, etc.).
Three-dimensional models of a work of art or archaeological artifact make it possible to obtain accurate reproductions that maintain the formal and textural characteristics of the original, without exposing it to the risk of wear and tear due to direct contact. This approach not only promotes a multisensory and inclusive experience, but also holds an important preservation function: while the public can interact with the tactile replica, the original artifact is preserved in optimal condition, protecting it from physical damage and wear and tear that would result from direct manipulation.
The placement of detail tactile tables
Tactile detail tables due to their descriptive nature are usually placed within the exhibition route. They offer themselves as a valuable knowledge tool, allowing visitors to understand and deepen while enabling the protection of the exhibits. The implementation of a three-dimensional model within exhibition routes can become a useful teaching aid made available to teachers of schools of all levels in the study of art history, architecture and drawing.