Art in the Age of Networks - Networks as a Way of Thinking

The theme-based and material-based units (with lessons and lesson sequences) propose a curriculum for one academic semester in an undergraduate visual arts school (for sophomore, 2nd year, or junior, 3rd year students). However the lessons could be modified and tailored to any age group developmentally. This curricular framework aims to foster collaboration (within individuals, materials and disciplines), explore networked pedagogy and networks in pedagogy as a collaborating force through and with the visual arts and explore the materiality of the code and the digital media. The course also engages with new media theory and literature, investigates the materiality of the digital media as collaborators, mediators and metaphors and reflects on how technology affects pedagogy and allows students to tailor projects according to their own interests. The course content is flexible in its approach with plenty of elbowroom. The 3rd Unit of the suggested curriculum also seeks to advocate for social justice; students cultivate perspectives about the power of digital media to address social issues, they probe into matters of social justice or injustice with the featured artists and make connections with the artistic processes and goals of the artists (listed in the lessons) to reflect on the sociopolitical context of their own art making. The students also think about networks as an abstract or tangible concept (digital, social, physical, and biological networks) and create works in an open-ended, student-centric environment that encourages critical thinking, independent decision-making and enables them to chose their own nature/ track of projects.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cstae_resource_higher_education/1002/thumbnail.jp

Study of optical techniques for the Ames unitary wind tunnels. Part 4: Model deformation

A survey of systems capable of model deformation measurements was conducted. The survey included stereo-cameras, scanners, and digitizers. Moire, holographic, and heterodyne interferometry techniques were also looked at. Stereo-cameras with passive or active targets are currently being deployed for model deformation measurements at NASA Ames and LaRC, Boeing, and ONERA. Scanners and digitizers are widely used in robotics, motion analysis, medicine, etc., and some of the scanner and digitizers can meet the model deformation requirements. Commercial stereo-cameras, scanners, and digitizers are being improved in accuracy, reliability, and ease of operation. A number of new systems are coming onto the market

The survey of the Basilica di Collemaggio in L’Aquila with a system of terrestrial imaging and most proven techniques

The proposed job concerns the evaluation of a series of surveys carried out in the context of a campaign of studies begun in 2015 with the objective of comparing the accuracies obtainable with the systems of terrestrial imaging, compared to unmanned aerial vehicle imaging and laser scanner survey. In particular, the authors want to test the applicability of a system of imaging rover (IR), an innovative terrestrial imaging system, that consists of a multi-camera with integrated global positioning system (GPS)/global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, that is very recently released technique, and only a few literature references exist on the specific subject. In detail, the IR consists of a total of 12 calibrated cameras – seven “panorama” and five downward-looking – providing complete site documentation that can potentially be used to make photogrammetric measurements. The data acquired in this experimentation were then elaborated with various software packages in order to obtain point clouds and a three-dimensional model in different cases, and a comparison of the various results obtained was carried out. Following, the case study of the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L’Aquila is reported; Collemaggio is an UNESCO world heritage site; it was damaged during the seismic event of 2009, and its restoration is still in progress

3D body scanning and healthcare applications

Developed largely for the clothing industry, 3D body-surface scanners are transforming our ability to accurately measure and visualize a person's body size, shape, and skin-surface area. Advancements in 3D whole-body scanning seem to offer even greater potential for healthcare applications

The virtual human face – superimposing the simultaneously captured 3D photorealistic skin surface of the face on the untextured skin image of the CBCT Scan

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of simultaneous capture of the three-dimensional (3D) surface of the face and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan of the skull on the accuracy of their registration and superimposition. 3D facial images were acquired in 14 patients using the Di3d (Dimensional Imaging, UK) imaging system and i-CAT CBCT scanner. One stereophotogrammetry image was captured at the same time as the CBCT and another one hour later. The two stereophotographs were then individually superimposed over the CBCT using VRmesh. Seven patches were isolated on the final merged surfaces. For the whole face and each individual patch; maximum and minimum range of deviation between surfaces, absolute average distance between surfaces, and standard deviation for the 90th percentile of the distance errors were calculated. The superimposition errors of the whole face for both captures revealed statistically significant differences (P=0.00081). The absolute average distances in both separate and simultaneous captures were 0.47mm and 0.27mm, respectively. The level of superimposition accuracy in patches from separate captures ranged between 0.3 and 0.9mm, while that of simultaneous captures was 0.4mm. Simultaneous capture of Di3d and CBCT images significantly improved the accuracy of superimposition of these image modalities

A new 3-D modelling method to extract subtransect dimensions from underwater videos

Underwater video transects have become a common tool for quantitative analysis of the seafloor. However a major difficulty remains in the accurate determination of the area surveyed as underwater navigation can be unreliable and image scaling does not always compensate for distortions due to perspective and topography. Depending on the camera set-up and available instruments, different methods of surface measurement are applied, which make it difficult to compare data obtained by different vehicles. 3-D modelling of the seafloor based on 2-D video data and a reference scale can be used to compute subtransect dimensions. Focussing on the length of the subtransect, the data obtained from 3-D models created with the software PhotoModeler Scanner are compared with those determined from underwater acoustic positioning (ultra short baseline, USBL) and bottom tracking (Doppler velocity log, DVL). 3-D model building and scaling was successfully conducted on all three tested set-ups and the distortion of the reference scales due to substrate roughness was identified as the main source of imprecision. Acoustic positioning was generally inaccurate and bottom tracking unreliable on rough terrain. Subtransect lengths assessed with PhotoModeler were on average 20 % longer than those derived from acoustic positioning due to the higher spatial resolution and the inclusion of slope. On a high relief wall bottom tracking and 3-D modelling yielded similar results. At present, 3-D modelling is the most powerful, albeit the most time-consuming, method for accurate determination of video subtransect dimensions

Fisheye Photogrammetry to Survey Narrow Spaces in Architecture and a Hypogea Environment

Nowadays, the increasing computation power of commercial grade processors has actively led to a vast spreading of image-based reconstruction software as well as its application in different disciplines. As a result, new frontiers regarding the use of photogrammetry in a vast range of investigation activities are being explored. This paper investigates the implementation of fisheye lenses in non-classical survey activities along with the related problematics. Fisheye lenses are outstanding because of their large field of view. This characteristic alone can be a game changer in reducing the amount of data required, thus speeding up the photogrammetric process when needed. Although they come at a cost, field of view (FOV), speed and manoeuvrability are key to the success of those optics as shown by two of the presented case studies: the survey of a very narrow spiral staircase located in the Duomo di Milano and the survey of a very narrow hypogea structure in Rome. A third case study, which deals with low-cost sensors, shows the metric evaluation of a commercial spherical camera equipped with fisheye lenses