SR-4000 and CamCube3.0 Time of Flight (ToF) Cameras: Tests and Comparison

In this paper experimental comparisons between two Time-of-Flight (ToF) cameras are reported in order to test their performance and to give some procedures for testing data delivered by this kind of technology. In particular, the SR-4000 camera by Mesa Imaging AG and the CamCube3.0 by PMD Technologies have been evaluated since they have good performances and are well known to researchers dealing with Time-of- Flight (ToF) cameras. After a brief overview of commercial ToF cameras available on the market and the main specifications of the tested devices, two topics are presented in this paper. First, the influence of camera warm-up on distance measurement is analyzed: a warm-up of 40 minutes is suggested to obtain the measurement stability, especially in the case of the CamCube3.0 camera, that exhibits distance measurement variations of several centimeters. Secondly, the variation of distance measurement precision variation over integration time is presented: distance measurement precisions of some millimeters are obtained in both cases. Finally, a comparison between the two cameras based on the experiments and some information about future work on evaluation of sunlight influence on distance measurements are reporte

A Survey of "The Sala degli Stucchi, an ornate baroque hall"

The "Sala degli stucchi" is a heavely decorated baroque hall, as the Italian name itself suggests, in the Royal Palace in Turin. The present work describes a survey of this historic object. This work is a part of a wider project on the study of Architectural Patrimony carried out for the La Soprintendenza per il Patrimonio storico, artistico ed etnoantropologico per il Piemonte. It is a chance to test the modern survey techniques of photogrammetry and LIDAR. This article focuses on the integrated use of digital photogrammetry and LIDAR in a demanding environment, in order to take best advantages of both techniques. Different survey products were obtained, ranging from 3D and photogrammetric models to orthophotos. The adopted techniques, the problems and difficulties that arose during the survey process are shown in the paper. The obtained and stored results were also used to make a complete 3D model of the whole hal

Tree decomposition and parameterized algorithms for RNA structure-sequence alignment including tertiary interactions and pseudoknots

We present a general setting for structure-sequence comparison in a large class of RNA structures that unifies and generalizes a number of recent works on specific families on structures. Our approach is based on tree decomposition of structures and gives rises to a general parameterized algorithm, where the exponential part of the complexity depends on the family of structures. For each of the previously studied families, our algorithm has the same complexity as the specific algorithm that had been given before.Comment: (2012

New instruments and technologies for Cultural Heritage survey: full integration between point clouds and digital photogrammetry

In the last years the Geomatic Research Group of the Politecnico di Torino faced some new research topics about new instruments for point cloud generation (e.g. Time of Flight cameras) and strong integration between multi-image matching techniques and 3D Point Cloud information in order to solve the ambiguities of the already known matching algorithms. ToF cameras can be a good low cost alternative to LiDAR instruments for the generation of precise and accurate point clouds: up to now the application range is still limited but in a near future they will be able to satisfy the most part of the Cultural Heritage metric survey requirements. On the other hand multi-image matching techniques with a correct and deep integration of the point cloud information can give the correct solution for an "intelligent" survey of the geometric object break-lines, which are the correct starting point for a complete survey. These two research topics are strictly connected to a modern Cultural Heritage 3D survey approach. In this paper after a short analysis of the achieved results, an alternative possible scenario for the development of the metric survey approach inside the wider topic of Cultural Heritage Documentation is reporte

The Unexpected and Education: Curriculums for Creativity

We propose ourselves to argue about the importance of creating unexpected contexts as a strategy to promote creative processes in education. We have analyzed educational proposals by our team research and specialists’ theoretical issues in the field of education and creativity. Our intention is to present theoretical and practical considerations about the role of the unexpected in the promotion of creativity in educational contexts. Learning activities, teachers, contexts, materials and teacher intervention are some of the components of educational contexts that can be designed in an unexpected way to give place to situations for creativity.Fil: Elisondo, Romina Cecilia. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Donolo, Danilo Silvio. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rinaudo, María Cristina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentin

Archaeological site monitoring: UAV photogrammetry can be an answer

During archaeological excavations it is important to monitor the new excavated areas and findings day by day in order to be able to plan future excavation activities. At present, this daily activity is usually performed by using total stations, which survey the changes of the archaeological site: the surveyors are asked to produce day by day draft plans and sections which allow archaeologists to plan their future activities. The survey is realized during the excavations or just at the end of every working day and drawings have to be produced as soon as possible in order to allow the comprehension of the work done and to plan the activities for the following day. By using this technique, all the measurements, even those not necessary for the day after, have to be acquired in order to avoid a ‘loss of memory'. A possible alternative to this traditional approach is aerial photogrammetry, if the images can be acquired quickly and at a taken distance able to guarantee the necessary accuracy of a few centimeters. Today the use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) can be considered a proven technology able to acquire images at distances ranging from 4 m up to 20 m: and therefore as a possible monitoring system to provide the necessary information to the archaeologists day by day. The control network, usually present at each archaeological site, can give the stable control points useful for orienting a photogrammetric block acquired by using an UAV equipped with a calibrated digital camera and a navigation control system able to drive the aircraft following a pre-planned flight scheme. Modern digital photogrammetric software can solve for the block orientation and generate a DSM automatically, allowing rapid orthophoto generation and the possibility of producing sections and plans. The present paper describes a low cost UAV system realized by the research group of the Politecnico di Torino and tested on a Roman villa archaeological site located in Aquileia (Italy), a well-known UNESCO WHL site. The results of automatic orientation and orthophoto production are described in terms of their accuracy and the completeness of information guaranteed for archaeological site excavation managemen