Portable remote hyperspectral imaging for in situ examination of wall paintings

The recording of high resolution spectral images and non-invasive monitoring of wall paintings in grotto sites, tombs and buildings are particularly important since these paintings are extremely vulnerable. The remoteness of some of the sites, the inaccessible height of some of the paintings and the difficulty in controlling the environment they are in, all contribute to their vulnerability. Imaging of wall paintings at high resolution currently requires either scaffolding or some heavy and cumbersome mechanical structure to lift the camera to the upper parts of a wall or ceiling. The aim of the proposed project is to develop a portable imaging system that is light-weight and flexible for in situ high resolution, accurate colour and spectral imaging in the visible/near infrared (400-1000nm) and short-wave infrared (900nm-1700nm), including fluorescence imaging of wall paintings and other large paintings from ground level. The system would provide the means of non-invasive monitoring of the conditions of the paintings, revealing past intervention, studying painting techniques and identifying pigments and disseminating the 3D colour images to the general public. The portability of the system means that it can be taken to remote sites to image paintings in situ without the need for scaffolding or other cumbersome mechanical structures and that it can also be used to image large museum paintings and painted objects in situ at high resolution.