China uses intelligent matching systems to restore Terracotta army figures

A scientific research team in China developed an intelligent fragment-matching system to help experts restore the Terracotta army in the Lintong District of Shaanxi Province.

The technology helps specialists identify matching pieces for clay figures that have been buried for more than 2,000 years. Because many figures suffered damage from landslides, earthquakes, and water seepage, they often broke into dozens of pieces before being unearthed.

The new system generates multiple virtual splicing solutions, which allows restorers to find matching parts more efficiently before they begin the physical assembly process. The Terracotta army was discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well. These life-sized clay soldiers, horses, and chariots were buried to accompany Emperor Qinshihuang in the afterlife. The Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum now preserves these figures, which are considered one of China’s first World Cultural Heritage sites.