Virtual unfolding

(Above) The 16th century Diss Heywood scroll, which is severely charred, and (below) the results of applying virtual unrolling to one of the sheets of the scroll.

Virtual unfolding, also known as virtual unrolling, virtual unwrapping, or virtual unravelling, is a non-destructive method of unrolling and reading damaged or fragile scrolls. Unlike physical unrolling (which often destroys such scrolls), virtual unrolling starts with a 3D X-ray scan in a tomograph, which is later programmatically unrolled. The unrolled image then can be studied in detail and processed using machine learning methods. Virtual unfolding was used for the burned En-Gedi Scroll from Israel, for water-damaged Bressingham and burned Diss Heywood scrolls from England, for the Herculaneum papyri burned during the Pompeii volcano eruption, for a Mongolian Buddhist scroll, found inside a statue, for a metal scroll amulet from Jordan, unopened letters from Europe, and for bamboo scrolls from China.

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