Autonomous Service Drones for Multimodal Detection and Monitoring of Archaeological Sites

Constant detection and monitoring of archaeological sites and objects have always been an important national goal for many countries. The early identification of changes is crucial to preventive conservation. Archaeologists have always considered using service drones to automate collecting data on and below the ground surface of archaeological sites, with cost and technical barriers being the main hurdles against the wide-scale deployment. Advances in thermal imaging, depth imaging, drones, and artificial intelligence have driven the cost down and improved the quality and volume of data collected and processed. This paper proposes an end-to-end framework for archaeological sites detection and monitoring using autonomous service drones. We mount RGB, depth, and thermal cameras on an autonomous drone for low-altitude data acquisition. To align and aggregate collected images, we propose two-stage multimodal depth-to-RGB and thermal-to-RGB mosaicking algorithms. We then apply detection algorithms to the stitched images to identify change regions and design a user interface to monitor these regions over time. Our results show we can create overlays of aligned thermal and depth data on RGB mosaics of archaeological sites. We tested our change detection algorithm and found it has a root mean square error of 0.04. To validate the proposed framework, we tested our thermal image stitching pipeline against state-of-the-art commercial software. We cost-effectively replicated its functionality while adding a new depth-based modality and created a user interface for temporally monitoring changes in multimodal views of archaeological sites

MusA: Using Indoor Positioning and Navigation to Enhance Cultural Experiences in a museum

In recent years there has been a growing interest into the use of multimedia mobile guides in museum environments. Mobile devices have the capabilities to detect the user context and to provide pieces of information suitable to help visitors discovering and following the logical and emotional connections that develop during the visit. In this scenario, location based services (LBS) currently represent an asset, and the choice of the technology to determine users' position, combined with the definition of methods that can effectively convey information, become key issues in the design process. In this work, we present MusA (Museum Assistant), a general framework for the development of multimedia interactive guides for mobile devices. Its main feature is a vision-based indoor positioning system that allows the provision of several LBS, from way-finding to the contextualized communication of cultural contents, aimed at providing a meaningful exploration of exhibits according to visitors' personal interest and curiosity. Starting from the thorough description of the system architecture, the article presents the implementation of two mobile guides, developed to respectively address adults and children, and discusses the evaluation of the user experience and the visitors' appreciation of these application

Georeferencing old maps: a polynomial-based approach for Como historical cadastres

Recent developments in digital technologies have opened new and previously unimagined possibilities for the exploitation of cartographic heritage. In particular, georeferencing converts them from pure archival documents to real geographic data. This study investigates the issue of georeferencing the historical maps which are currently preserved at the State Archive of Como. These maps, about 15000 at the scale of 1:2000, belong to different cadastral series: the Theresian Cadastre (XVIII century), the Lombardo-Veneto Cadastre (mid-XIX century) and the New Lands Cadastre (1905). Georeferenced maps should then be inserted in the Internet GIS system, developed within the Web C.A.R.T.E. project, for an interactive 2D- and 3D consultation. Due to the peculiar nature of maps, which are divided in several adjacent cadastral sheets for each municipality, a preliminary mosaicking of these sheets was performed. Using the digital cartography of current municipalities, Ground Control Points and Check Points were collimated on the historical maps. A polynomial transformation was chosen to georeference the maps. An ad hoc-built procedure based on statistical evaluation of GCPs and CPs residuals was implemented, in order to determine the optimal polynomial order to be used. Evaluation of georeferencing results was performed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The obtained accuracy is much higher, as the territories covered by the maps are smaller and more densely-built. The methodology is automated and can be proposed as a reference for georeferencing maps of comparable characteristics. Historical maps can thus be continuously navigated into a georeferenced framework and compared with current cartography. This clears the way for the usage of historical maps in a wide range of applications, such as territorial planning, urban and landscape changes analysis and archaeological research

Reconstrucción digital no métrica de mosaicos romanos excavados en la ciudad de Rávena (Italia)

[EN] During the excavations carried out in summer 2011 in Piazza Anita Garibaldi in Ravenna, during construction of the new underground waste containers, five rooms decorated with mosaic floors were found, probably dating back to the early Roman Empire (1st-2ndcentury AD). The mosaics were removed for restoration and musealisation, however –given the size of the large lacunae-it would not be possible to reintegrate them in a traditional restoration without creating arbitrary reconstructions. Therefore, we opted for a digital reconstruction of the lacunae, attempting virtual restoration hypotheses for the recovered mosaics. Subsequently, it was possible to grasp the trend of the figuration and how it could have appeared in the past. The characteristics of many mosaics, such as the symmetry and the repetition of geometric patterns, make them suitable for both a simulated integration and are construction by the analogies of the pattern. As a matter of fact, we used simple and easily accessible software to perform this work. The purpose of this digital workflow was to give an example of virtual processing useful for conservators and restorers, as well as for scholars (archaeologists, art historians, etc.) that can be carried out without specific information technology expertise and computer skills. After the images were acquired digitally, we were able to proceed with the reconstruction of the floor, by taking into account the geometric motifs that make up the mosaic assembly and that made the recomposition the most reliable. The virtual restoration also provides the opportunity of simulating the type of integration and the colour so that scholars, restorers and conservators may evaluate the final appearance of the work and the different aesthetic choices. The virtual restoration is finally considered an essential tool for the enhancement of cultural heritage.[ES] Durante las excavaciones llevadas a cabo en el verano de 2011 en la Plaza Anita Garibaldi en Rávena para la fabricación de nuevos contenedores soterrados, se encontraron cinco habitaciones decoradas con mosaicos en el piso, que probablemente datan de principios del imperio romano (siglo I-II d. C.). Los mosaicos fueron retirados para la restauración y musealización, sin embargo –dado el tamaño de las lagunas grandes-no sería posible reintegrarlos siguiendo una restauración tradicional sin crear reconstrucciones arbitrarias. Por esta razón, hemos optado por una reconstrucción digital de las lagunas, haciendo algunas hipótesis de restauración virtual delos mosaicos recuperados. De esta manera, es posible figurar cómo podría haber sido en el pasado. Las características de muchos mosaicos, como son la simetría y la repetición de los patrones geométricos, los hacen adecuados tanto para una integración simulada como para la reconstrucción por analogía del patrón geométrico. De hecho, utilizamos software muy simple para realizar este trabajo, ya que nuestro propósito era dar un ejemplo de procesamiento virtual útil para conservadores y restauradores, así como para académicos (arqueólogos, historiadores del arte, etc.) que puede llevarse a cabo sin conocimientos específicos ni conocimientos informáticos. Una vez adquiridas las imágenes en formato digital, pudimos proceder a la reconstrucción real del piso, teniendo en cuenta los motivos geométricos que conforman el ensamblaje del mosaico y que hicieron la recomposición más fiable. La restauración virtual también brinda la oportunidad de simular en la imagen digital el tipo de integración y el color para que los estudiosos puedan evaluar la apariencia final del trabajo y las diferentes elecciones estéticas. La restauración virtual se considera finalmente una herramienta esencial para la mejora del patrimonio cultural.We are grateful to the Editor-in-Chief Prof. José Luis Lerma for useful suggestions. Pictures of the excavations were taken by RavennAntica Foundation and Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Virtual restorationswere carried out by Mariapaola Monti.Monti, M.; Maino, G. (2018). Non-metric digital reconstruction of Roman mosaics excavated in the city of Ravenna (Italy). Virtual Archaeology Review. 9(19):66-75. doi:10.4995/var.2018.7227SWORD6675919Bennardi, D., &Furferi, R. (2007). Il restauro virtuale. Tra ideologia e metodologia. Florence: Edifir.Biagi Maino, D., &Maino, G. (2017). Principi e Applicazioni del Restauro Virtuale. Florence: Edifir.Bignami, S., Carnoli, S., &Racagni, P. (2000). Il mosaico ravennate: cronistoria dalle origini ai giorni nostri. Ravenna: Associazione Giuliano Argentario.Bortolotti, I. (2006). Grafica al computer per il restauratore. Padova: Il Prato.Brandi, C. (1963). Teoria del restauro. Roma: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura.Casagrande, F., Rivola, R., Castagnetti, C., & Bertacchini, E. (2016). Scansione e stampa 3D di un calco musivo policromo. In V. Perzolla, & A. Colombo (Eds.), Le Tecnologie Digitali al servizio della conservazione: Dall'integrazione scultorea al restauro virtuale (pp. 43-55, 65-66). Padova: Il Prato e-book.Casagrande, F., Maino, G., & Monti, M. (2016).3D rendering and virtual restoration of mosaics. In M. B. Panov (Ed.), Byzantium and the Heritage of Europe: Connecting the Cultures, Proceedings of 3rd International Symposium Days of Justinian I (pp.111-121). Skopje: Euro-Balkan University.Degrigny, C., Piqué, F., Papiashvili, N., Guery, J., Mansouri, A., Le Goïc, G., Detalle, V.,Martos-Levif, D., Mounier, A., Wefers, S., Tedeschi, C., Cucchi, M., Vallet, J., Pamart, A., & Pinette, M. (2016). Technical study of Germolles' wall paintings: the input of imaging techniques. Virtual Archaeology Review, 7(15), 1-8.doi:10.4995/var.2016.5831Fiori, C., &Vandini, M. (2002). Teoria e tecniche per la conservazione del mosaico. Padova: Il PratoGonzalez, R.C., &Woods, R.E. (1993). Digital Image Processing. New York: Addison-Wesley.Higuchi, R., Suzuki, T., Shibata, M., Taniguchi, Y., & Galyaz, M. (2016). Digital non-metric image-based documentation for the preservation and restoration of mural paintings: the case of the Ozomlo Rock-Hewn church, Turkey. Virtual Archaeology Review, 7(14), 31-42.doi:10.4995/var.2016.4241Maino, G., &Visparelli, D. (2003). Il museo virtuale dei mosaici. In Atti del Convegno Contesti virtuali e fruizione dei beni culturali, Naples, May 22-23,2003 (pp.1-6). Naples, Italy.Maino, G., Orlandi, M., & Malkowski, G. (2005). Documentare i mosaici tramite GIS.In La tecnologia al servizio dei beni culturali. Nuovi sistemi di catalogazione, visualizzazione e salvaguardia (pp.17-19).Rome: ENEA Technical Report.Maino, G. (2007).Digitization and multispectral analysis of historical books and archival documents: Two exemplary cases. In 14th International Conference on Image Analysis and Processing-Workshop (ICIAPW 2007), vol.II, (pp.119-124).doi:10.1109/ICIAPW.2007.23Maino, G., &Massari, S. (2010).Digitization and multispectral analysis of artistic objects: exemplary cases and web documentation. In Science for Cultural Heritage (pp.164-171).Singapore: World Scientific.doi:10.1142/9789814307079_0014Maino, G. (2015).The mosaics of Macedonia: conservation and restoration issues. In L. Kniffitz, & E. Carbonara (Eds.), Ravenna Musiva. Preservation and restoration of architectural decoration, mosaics and frescoes (pp.316-331, plates 44-47).Maino, G., &Monti, M. (2015). Color Management and Virtual Restoration of Artworks. In E. Celebi, M.Lecca, &B. Smolka (Eds.), Color Image and Video Enhancement (pp.183-231).Cham: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-09363-5_7Menghi, R., Monti, M., &Maino, G. (2012).Principles of virtual restoration and application to artistic and archaeological objects. In G. Vezzalini, & P. Zannini (Eds.), Proceedings of A.I.Ar. 2012 Modena -VII Congresso nazionale di Archeometria (pp. 618-631).Bologna: Patron.Monti, M., &Maino, G. (2011).Image processing and a virtual restoration hypothesis for mosaics and their cartoons. In G. Maino, & G. L. Foresti (Eds.), Image Analysis and Processing -ICIAP 2011.Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 6979, 486-495. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-24088-1_50Nencini, E., & Maino, G. (2011).From the physical restoration for preserving to the virtual restoration for enhancing. 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FROM DAGUERREOTYPES TO DIGITAL AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAMMETRY. APPLICATIONS AND LIMITS FOR THE BUILT HERITAGE PROJECT

This paper will describe the evolutionary stages that shaped and built, over the time, a robust and solid relationship between ‘indirect survey methods’ and knowledge of the ‘architectural matter’, aiming at producing a conservation project for the built heritage. Collecting architectural data by simply drawing them was considered to be inadequate by John Ruskin already in 1845. He strongly felt the need to fix them through that ‘blessed’ invention that was the ‘daguerreotype’. Today taking simple photographs is not enough: it is crucial to develop systems able to provide the best graphics supports (possibly in the third dimension) for the development and editing of the architectural project. This paper will focus not only on the re-examination of historical data, on the research and representation of the ‘sign’, but also on the evolution of technologies and ‘reading methods’, in order to highlight their strengths and weaknesses in the real practice of conservation project and in the use of the architectures of the past

Restauro de uma moldura do século XVIII: modelação 3D, impressão e acerto de cor de elementos florais decorativos

This paper describes the application of 3D digital technology to support the rebuild of lost decorative elements of an historical frame. The frame belongs to an 18th century painting depicting the portrait of D. José, Prince of Brazil, displayed at the National Palace of Queluz, Portugal. The application of digital technologies has been planned from the very beginning in order to avoid the traditional use of silicone in the reproduction of missing elements. The photogrammetric 3D acquisition, a non-contact methodology, has been used to reduce the manipulation and hence prevent further degradation of the artistic object. Following the 3D modelling operation, new decorative elements were made using an additive printing technology. In the final phase of the work, the post-printing treatment was carried out, in which aqueous products were used. 3D modelling, in addition to facilitate the restoration treatment of the historic frame, can also be useful in the creation of a digital collection of decorative frame elements, i.e. a virtual database.Este artículo describe la aplicación de tecnologías digitales 3D para apoyar la reconstrucción de elementos decorativos faltantes en un marco histórico. El marco pertenece a una pintura del siglo XVIII, que representa el retrato de D. José, Príncipe de Brasil, expuesto en el Palacio Nacional de Queluz, Portugal. Se planificó, desde el principio, la aplicación de tecnologías digitales de forma a evitar el uso tradicional de siliconas en la reproducción de elementos faltantes. La adquisición fotogramétrica 3D, una metodología sin contacto, se ha utilizado para reducir la manipulación y, por tanto, evitar una mayor degradación del objeto artístico. Tras la operación de modelado 3D, se realizaron nuevos elementos decorativos utilizando tecnología de impresión aditiva. En la fase final del trabajo se realizó el tratamiento de post-impresión, en el que se utilizaron productos acuosos. El modelado 3D, además de facilitar los tratamientos de restauración en el marco histórico, también puede considerarse útil en la creación de una colección digital de elementos decorativos de marcos, es decir, una base de datos virtualEste artigo, descreve a aplicação de tecnologias digitais 3D, como base para a reconstrução de elementos decorativos em falta, numa moldura histórica. A moldura pertence uma pintura do século XVIII, que representa o retrato de D. José, Príncipe do Brasil, exposto no Palácio Nacional de Queluz, Portugal. A aplicação das tecnologias digitais foi planeada desde o início, para evitar o uso tradicional de silicones na reprodução dos elementos inexistentes. A aquisição fotogramétrica 3D, uma metodologia sem contato, foi utilizada de forma a reduzir a manipulação, evitando uma maior degradação do objeto artístico. Após a operação de modelação 3D, os novos elementos decorativos foram feitos usando uma tecnologia de impressão aditiva. Na fase final do trabalho, foi realizado o tratamento de pós-impressão no qual foram empregues produtos aquosos. A modelação 3D, além de facilitar a intervenção de restauro na moldura histórica, também pode ser considerada útil na criação de uma coleção digital de elementos decorativos de molduras, ou seja, um banco de dados virtual.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio