Reflectance Transformation Imaging Systems for Ancient Documentary Artefacts

This project will establish two Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) systems for use in the recording, analysis and dissemination of ancient written artefacts and archaeological material. RTI uses images captured via digital cameras and high speed video to produce detailed models of surfaces. These can then be visualised in a way similar to interaction with the physical object. Different kinds of processing enable details to be highlighted.

The project will design systems incorporating all current best practice in the field. They will be piloted on a range of ancient written materials and on other archaeological materials, in order to develop systems and workflows suitable for rolling out across the cultural heritage sector. The project will also produce freely available blueprints and specifications for the systems, free software, and tutorial materials that will enable rapid takeup of the technology by experts and the interested public. The technology has significant industrial, commercial and public potential.

In the field of ancient document studies, the RTI systems will stimulate new research by enabling the capture of important collections that are often dispersed and difficult to access. These objects are often very hard to read and RTI will help with their interpretation. In addition, the ability to combine related documents from different collections and to link them to textual data will have a direct impact on research. Virtual access will limit the need for physical interaction with these frequently fragile, priceless objects.

In the broader field of archaeology RTI enables the detailed analysis of objects where surface texture is of particular importance, such as recording Roman brick stamps, measuring the deterioration of delicate textiles or wall paintings, and analysing lithics or bones.

The systems will be embedded in two established communities. First, the Oxford Centre for the Study of Ancient Documents. CSAD has proven its value across the broad field of ancient texts and written artefact studies. The focus of the CSAD's research on a wide range of ink-written, incised and inscribed texts addresses technical problems of digital imaging and signal-processing. The effectiveness of these has been demonstrated in a number of published studies, but work remains to be done on turning them into flexible instruments. The RTI systems will provide this flexibility across datasets and disciplines, drawing directly from CSAD's experience.

The second community is the Archaeological Computing Research Group at the University of Southampton. This group has for twenty years been at the forefront of archaeological computing teaching and research, with strong links across the academic, commercial, public and third sectors. One particular strength of the ACRG is in the capture and analysis of digital datasets from archaeological materials. This includes work developing and integrating RTI, laser scanning, and digital photogrammetry. The project members have recently submitted for publication a major study of archaeological applications of RTI in areas such as conservation, surface analysis, visualisation, public dissemination and archiving. The ACRG benefits from strong links with the School of Electronics and Computer Science at Southampton. Their involvement brings a long history in imaging approaches to cultural heritage materials, with a focus on art, and in the necessary cutting-edge electronic research core to this project. The success of these teams is further supported by the involvement of Tom Malzbender from Hewlett Packard Labs as an advisor, ensuring that the two systems are and remain at the forefront of research and value in this area.

The systems produced will be integrated into existing CSAD digital frameworks designed to improve access and analysis of the data studied. Partnership with the Archaeology Data Service will similarly safeguard the future of the archaeological data produced.

The research staff employed on the project will gain a range of interdisciplinary skills, bringing them into contact with cutting edge science, ancient texts, and data integration tools. They will work with representative of the academic, public, private and third sectors.

Academics in the core field of ancient documentary artefacts, archaeology and engineering will benefit directly from this research through capture of new datasets, provision of new ways of analysis, and development of new digital processing technologies. Key stakeholders from representative institutions will be targeted for attendance at the project workshop. Research building from the creation of the RTI systems will be published. The software, hardware designs, and information to use them needed by other academics and any member of the general public to benefit directly from the technology will be freely and openly disseminated.

Academics with an interest in the surface properties of objects will benefit from this research. The RTI systems will be robust and high resolution, enabling potential applications from a wide range of specialists including materials scientists, engineers, computer graphics researchers, geologists and palaeontologists. Examples in the current RTI literature and from the PI's research prove both an interest from these groups and potential applications. Dissemination of the research across a wide academic portfolio of news and other channels will be supported by the project team and by their institutions. Together they have an excellent track record in expert dissemination.

Creative professionals will benefit from the RTI capture system. The PI has links to a number of art institutions which have expressed an interest in the technology as a representative device, and art/ archaeology collaborations are a feature of the PI's department. RTI offers a novel, engaging way of producing and interacting with works of art, as demonstrated by the Tate's Frank Auerbach - Variable Light online exhibition which used RTI. Similarly, management of art collections will benefit through the use of RTI in digital fingerprinting and imaging of artworks, and in conservation monitoring.

Museums will benefit from the project by access to the digitised contents of their collections. These will be freely accessible for new forms of display and interaction within galleries and online. Digitisation will also provide access to collections that are normally considered too fragile, valuable or otherwise difficult to display. The RTI format could enable digital repatriation of artefacts or facilitate physical repatriation. The project team have strong links with a number of museums many of whom have already expressed an interest in the technology.

Industry will benefit from a capture technology that is of potential use in materials science and also in sales. The RTI interactive approach could be of considerable benefit in enabling customers to interact with materials online. The PI and CI Martinez have existing industrial partnerships which will facilitate this project and the dissemination of its results.

The general public will benefit from access to materials normally reserved for experts, or indeed never made available. RTI means that this virtual access to materials will be through an intuitive interface which offers the chance for real personal scholarship. In the specifics of this research RTI will introduce the public to a variety of extremely important ancient written material that is under-represented in the public domain. Through access to the RTI capture and visualisation software produced by the project the public will be able to capture their own records of ancient and other materials.