When the digital twin meets the preventive conservation of movable wooden artifacts

Abstract To achieve sustainable heritage conservation, preventive conservation has gradually taken precedence over curative conservation, because it can inhibit the damage caused by various environmental factors and maximizes the preservation life of the artifacts. Due to susceptibility to environmental factors, preventive conservation has been used in the conservation of movable wooden artifacts to further protect them. Recently, digital twin technology, as a concept that transcends reality, can be mapped in virtual space to reflect the full lifecycle process of the corresponding entity, which is a superior characteristic that makes it valued and researched for health monitoring and health management of heritages. This paper proposes a health management method mainly for preventive conservation of movable wooden artifacts, integrating digital twin technology into the health management process. Using the Quanzhou Ship as a typical representative, several important components of health management are specifically analyzed, such as the five-dimensional model of the digital twin, the data interaction process of the digital twin, and the identification and assessment of risks. In particular, the process of preventive conservation of the stern based on the digital twin is presented in detail. This method provides a basis for future preventive conservation of movable wooden artifacts and has implications for the use of digital twin technology in the field of heritage conservation, especially for movable wooden artifacts.