BIM semantic-enrichment for built heritage representation

In the built heritage context, BIM has shown difficulties in representing and managing the large and complex knowledge related to non-geometrical aspects of the heritage. Within this scope, this paper focuses on a domain-specific semantic-enrichment of BIM methodology, aimed at fulfilling semantic representation requirements of built heritage through Semantic Web technologies. To develop this semantic-enriched BIM approach, this research relies on the integration of a BIM environment with a knowledge base created through information ontologies. The result is knowledge base system - and a prototypal platform - that enhances semantic representation capabilities of BIM application to architectural heritage processes. It solves the issue of knowledge formalization in cultural heritage informative models, favouring a deeper comprehension and interpretation of all the building aspects. Its open structure allows future research to customize, scale and adapt the knowledge base different typologies of artefacts and heritage activities

A study of existing Ontologies in the IoT-domain

Several domains have adopted the increasing use of IoT-based devices to collect sensor data for generating abstractions and perceptions of the real world. This sensor data is multi-modal and heterogeneous in nature. This heterogeneity induces interoperability issues while developing cross-domain applications, thereby restricting the possibility of reusing sensor data to develop new applications. As a solution to this, semantic approaches have been proposed in the literature to tackle problems related to interoperability of sensor data. Several ontologies have been proposed to handle different aspects of IoT-based sensor data collection, ranging from discovering the IoT sensors for data collection to applying reasoning on the collected sensor data for drawing inferences. In this paper, we survey these existing semantic ontologies to provide an overview of the recent developments in this field. We highlight the fundamental ontological concepts (e.g., sensor-capabilities and context-awareness) required for an IoT-based application, and survey the existing ontologies which include these concepts. Based on our study, we also identify the shortcomings of currently available ontologies, which serves as a stepping stone to state the need for a common unified ontology for the IoT domain.Comment: Submitted to Elsevier JWS SI on Web semantics for the Internet/Web of Thing

Semantic browsing of digital collections

Visiting museums is an increasingly popular pastime. Studies have shown that visitors can draw on their museum experience, long after their visit, to learn new things in practical situations. Rather than viewing a visit as a single learning event, we are interested in ways of extending the experience to allow visitors to access online resources tailored to their interests. Museums typically have extensive archives that can be made available online, the challenge is to match these resources to the visitor’s interests and present them in a manner that facilitates exploration and engages the visitor. We propose the use of knowledge level resource descriptions to identify relevant resources and create structured presentations. A system that embodies this approach, which is in use in a UK museum, is presented and the applicability of the approach to the broader semantic web is discussed

Online event-based conservation documentation: A case study from the IIC website

There is a wealth of conservation-related resources that are published online on institutional and personal websites. There is value in searching across these websites, but this is currently impossible because the published data do not conform to any universal standard. This paper begins with a review of the types of classifications employed for conservation content in several conservation websites. It continues with an analysis of these classifications and it identifies some of their limitations that are related to the lack of conceptual basis of the classification terms used. The paper then draws parallels with similar problems in other professional fields and investigates the technologies used to resolve them. Solutions developed in the fields of computer science and knowledge organization are then described. The paper continues with the survey of two important resources in cultural heritage: the ICOM-CIDOC-CRM and the Getty vocabularies and it explains how these resources can be combined in the field of conservation documentation to assist the implementation of a common publication framework across different resources. A case study for the proposed implementation is then presented based on recent work on the IIC website. The paper concludes with a summary of the benefits of the recommended approach. An appendix with a selection of classification terms with reasonable coverage for conservation content is included

Achieving interoperability between the CARARE schema for monuments and sites and the Europeana Data Model

Mapping between different data models in a data aggregation context always presents significant interoperability challenges. In this paper, we describe the challenges faced and solutions developed when mapping the CARARE schema designed for archaeological and architectural monuments and sites to the Europeana Data Model (EDM), a model based on Linked Data principles, for the purpose of integrating more than two million metadata records from national monument collections and databases across Europe into the Europeana digital library.Comment: The final version of this paper is openly published in the proceedings of the Dublin Core 2013 conference, see http://dcevents.dublincore.org/IntConf/dc-2013/paper/view/17

Ontological classification for heritage computer aided design

Recent endeavors in Computer Aided Design (CAD) have enabled creating intelligent 3D models of building assets that allow high efficiency in constructing and operating/maintaining those assets. However, in order to support this, detailed specification, classification and codification of the individual building systems and their components must be created. This entails usage and embedding of specific construction classification systems with the CAD systems utilized. While many such systems exist for new builds, there is lack of classification systems for heritage buildings, which are unique in the characteristics of their components that cannot be covered by current classification systems. This paper presents part of an ongoing research to justify and create a new Ontological Classification system for Heritage assets that can be used in conjunction with CAD systems, specifically 3D intelligent authoring tools, to specify the special requirements of Heritage components. The paper will start with a comparative study to validate creation of an “Onto-Classification” system as opposed to other systems like thesauri, taxonomies etc., including case study examples of them. This will be followed with examples of the new Onto-Classification system using a current existing Case study of Toson Palace in Egypt

Bridging the Semantic Gap in Multimedia Information Retrieval: Top-down and Bottom-up approaches

Semantic representation of multimedia information is vital for enabling the kind of multimedia search capabilities that professional searchers require. Manual annotation is often not possible because of the shear scale of the multimedia information that needs indexing. This paper explores the ways in which we are using both top-down, ontologically driven approaches and bottom-up, automatic-annotation approaches to provide retrieval facilities to users. We also discuss many of the current techniques that we are investigating to combine these top-down and bottom-up approaches