homeWhy Chi Existsexamplestechnologyweb_resourcesfeatured_projectsabout_usinitiativesevents support_ussubscribe

Search:

DonateNow
 

Developing Advanced Technologies for the Imaging of Cultural Heritage Objects

Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant Project

coverage by: Claudia Willen
Project Update:

In Fall 2006, Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) and the University of Southern California (USC) researchers earned special recognition — a prestigious National Leadership Grant from the US Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Only 37 of the 183 institutions submitting applications obtained grants.

The project is now in its third year. Much was accomplished and some work is still in progress. What follows is a brief summary of accomplishments and work yet to be completed.


For the IMLS project, USC, CHI and HP Labs extended current Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) technology to provide three-dimensional (3D), multiple-view RTIs of cultural objects. Multi-view RTI enables the creation of digital objects that can be interactively inspected using rotation and zooming and relighted from differernt viewpoints. New viewing software will make this technology readily accessible to museum professionals, scholars, and the interested public and empower them to interact with the three-dimensional representations of cultural heritage objects.

  RTI: Technology Advances
  RTI: The Technology Overview
  RTI: Examples

One of the benefits of multi-view RTI is the use of existing photographic technology and digital imaging processing allowing museums to produce interactive images with powerful new information without significant changes to personnel, skill levels, or professional working cultures.

Project Accomplishments to Date:
  Developed working prototype multi-view RTI capture software
  Developed RTI capture hardware, with integrated  camera, lighting and rotational stage for objects
  Developed new file formats for single-view and multi-view RTI that support this technology into the future
  Created a new mathematical algorithm for generating RTIs from an image sequence based on hemispherical harmonics, that has greater accuracy than previous RTI methods and better represents shiny material
  Performed fundamental research  on the use of “optical flow” to interpolate between  RTI viewpoints
  Created a new RTI viewer with new enhancement functions, designed to distribute high-resolution RTIs over the web
  Defined process history documentation needed to meet scholarly and archive needs of generated representations
  Defined a semantic mapping of process history elements to the International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) Conceptual Reference Model (CRM)

The project includes a USC team consisting of the Archaeological Research Collection (an active USC teaching museum), the West Semitic Research Project and the InscriptiFact internet image database. Dr. Bruce Zuckerman is the principal investigator for this project and leads the West Semitic Research Project.



  A USC School of Religion project dedicated for the last 20 years to high-end photography of ancient inscriptions and other material culture.

  A database designed to allow access via the Internet to high-resolution images of ancient inscriptions from the Near Eastern and Mediterranean worlds

CHI has enlisted experts around the world to make its vision a reality. By working with experts in different areas, we can deliver solutions that are low-cost and immediately effective for museum professionals and archaeologists.

labs
Hewlett-Packard
Labs
uc berk
University of California
Santa Cruz
forth
Foundation for Research
Technology Hellas
cnr_pisa
Italian National Research Council


Additional Information:   IMLS 2006 National Leadership Grants Press Release:
http://www.imls.gov/news/2006 ...
   

IMLS 2006 National Leadership Grants Brief Descriptions:
http://www.imls.gov/news/2006/092606_list ...

    IMLS 2006 National Leadership Grants Fact Sheet: http://www.imls.gov/recipients/facts_NLG.shtm
   

USC West Semitic Research Project
http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp

    USC West Semitic Research Project InscriptiFact image database
http://www.inscriptifact.com








Info About CHI
Digital Technologies
Training & Workshops
About Us

Related CHI Content:
Technology > PTM's

On the web:
USC Today: "Research Project Garners $600,000 Grant"


Project_Abstract (12 KB PDF)


Featured Publication:
"New Reflection Transformation Imaging Methods
for Rock Art and Multiple-Viewpoint Display"
  "VAST 2006 Best Paper Award"


Featured Publication:
"Reflection Transformation Imaging and Virtual Representations of Coins from the Hospice of the Grand St. Bernard"
 
Contact | About Us | © Cultural Heritage Imaging 2002-2008