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Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics

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A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2014) | Viewed by 102611

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Dr. Luca Pezzati

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Gruppo Beni Culturali, CNR INO – Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Largo E. Fermi 6, 50125 Florence, Italy
Interests: diagnostic of cultural heritage; scanner for IR reflectography; image processing; interferometry; optical metrology; optical design
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the perception of the role of multidisciplinary science and technology by the stakeholders of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage has changed. In all major fields working for the safeguard of cultural heritage, applications and techniques are now seen as central for the study and diagnosis of artworks and artifacts. The role of diagnostics is now acknowledged, not only as a means of acquiring precious but “static” information about the artwork, but also as a possible solution for keeping the state of objects, sites and monuments “dynamically” under control.

One of the greatest problems to cope with in this quest for monitoring the safety and the security of artworks and sites, is the need for collecting huge amounts of data of a different nature (chemical, physical, biological,…) with possibly low-cost systems that can be deployed over wide areas and connected with state-of-the-art wireless networks. There is also a need for very small integrated sensors to be used as payloads in drones, or in other monitoring fixed or mobile networks. The era of diffused networked sensors is therefore starting, and the model to follow for cultural heritage applications is something closely related to the Internet of Things.

The aim of this Special Issue will therefore be to open a window on the world of sensing, to view the most promising solutions offered by developers to help preserve and safeguard the world’s cultural heritage.

Dr. Luca Pezzati
Guest Editor

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Keywords

cultural heritage
diagnostics
monitoring
physical sensors
chemical sensors
biological sensors
environmental sensors
mobile sensing
wireless sensor networks
internet of things

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

1659 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wireless Sensor Networks for Heritage Object Deformation Detection and Tracking Algorithm

by Zhijun Xie, Guangyan Huang, Roozbeh Zarei, Jing He, Yanchun Zhang and Hongwu Ye

Sensors 2014, 14(11), 20562-20588; https://doi.org/10.3390/s141120562 - 31 Oct 2014

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5581

Abstract

Deformation is the direct cause of heritage object collapse. It is significant to monitor and signal the early warnings of the deformation of heritage objects. However, traditional heritage object monitoring methods only roughly monitor a simple-shaped heritage object as a whole, but cannot monitor complicated heritage objects, which may have a large number of surfaces inside and outside. Wireless sensor networks, comprising many small-sized, low-cost, low-power intelligent sensor nodes, are more useful to detect the deformation of every small part of the heritage objects. Wireless sensor networks need an effective mechanism to reduce both the communication costs and energy consumption in order to monitor the heritage objects in real time. In this paper, we provide an effective heritage object deformation detection and tracking method using wireless sensor networks (EffeHDDT). In EffeHDDT, we discover a connected core set of sensor nodes to reduce the communication cost for transmitting and collecting the data of the sensor networks. Particularly, we propose a heritage object boundary detecting and tracking mechanism. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that our EffeHDDT method outperforms the existing methods in terms of network traffic and the precision of the deformation detection. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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1587 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Quantitative Method for the Non-Invasive Documentation of Morphological Damage in Paintings Using RTI Surface Normals

by Marcello Manfredi, Greg Bearman, Greg Williamson, Dale Kronkright, Eric Doehne, Megan Jacobs and Emilio Marengo

Sensors 2014, 14(7), 12271-12284; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140712271 - 09 Jul 2014

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 6975

Abstract

In this paper we propose a reliable surface imaging method for the non-invasive detection of morphological changes in paintings. Usually, the evaluation and quantification of changes and defects results mostly from an optical and subjective assessment, through the comparison of the previous and subsequent state of conservation and by means of condition reports. Using quantitative Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) we obtain detailed information on the geometry and morphology of the painting surface with a fast, precise and non-invasive method. Accurate and quantitative measurements of deterioration were acquired after the painting experienced artificial damage. Morphological changes were documented using normal vector images while the intensity map succeeded in highlighting, quantifying and describing the physical changes. We estimate that the technique can detect a morphological damage slightly smaller than 0.3 mm, which would be difficult to detect with the eye, considering the painting size. This non-invasive tool could be very useful, for example, to examine paintings and artwork before they travel on loan or during a restoration. The method lends itself to automated analysis of large images and datasets. Quantitative RTI thus eases the transition of extending human vision into the realm of measuring change over time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Dusts Sensor for Cultural Heritage Applications Based on Image Processing

by Andrea Proietti, Fabio Leccese, Maurizio Caciotta, Fabio Morresi, Ulderico Santamaria and Carmela Malomo

Sensors 2014, 14(6), 9813-9832; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140609813 - 04 Jun 2014

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 7448

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a new sensor for the detection and analysis of dusts (seen as powders and fibers) in indoor environments, especially designed for applications in the field of Cultural Heritage or in other contexts where the presence of dust requires special care (surgery, clean rooms, etc.). The presented system relies on image processing techniques (enhancement, noise reduction, segmentation, metrics analysis) and it allows obtaining both qualitative and quantitative information on the accumulation of dust. This information aims to identify the geometric and topological features of the elements of the deposit. The curators can use this information in order to design suitable prevention and maintenance actions for objects and environments. The sensor consists of simple and relatively cheap tools, based on a high-resolution image acquisition system, a preprocessing software to improve the captured image and an analysis algorithm for the feature extraction and the classification of the elements of the dust deposit. We carried out some tests in order to validate the system operation. These tests were performed within the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums, showing the good performance of the proposed sensor in terms of execution time and classification accuracy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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772 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Acquisition and Imaging System for Environmental Measurements: An Experience on the Italian Cultural Heritage

by Fabio Leccese, Marco Cagnetti, Andrea Calogero, Daniele Trinca, Stefano Di Pasquale, Sabino Giarnetti and Lorenzo Cozzella

Sensors 2014, 14(5), 9290-9312; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140509290 - 23 May 2014

Cited by 59 | Viewed by 8934

Abstract

A new acquisition system for remote control of wall paintings has been realized and tested in the field. The system measures temperature and atmospheric pressure in an archeological site where a fresco has been put under control. The measuring chain has been designed to be used in unfavorable environments where neither electric power nor telecommunication infrastructures are available. The environmental parameters obtained from the local monitoring are then transferred remotely allowing an easier management by experts in the field of conservation of cultural heritage. The local acquisition system uses an electronic card based on microcontrollers and sends the data to a central unit realized with a Raspberry-Pi. The latter manages a high quality camera to pick up pictures of the fresco. Finally, to realize the remote control at a site not reached by internet signals, a WiMAX connection based on different communication technologies such as WiMAX, Ethernet, GPRS and Satellite, has been set up. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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558 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Remote Assessment of Cultural Heritage Environments with Wireless Sensor Array Networks

by Henoc Agbota, John E. Mitchell, Marianne Odlyha and Matija Strlič

Sensors 2014, 14(5), 8779-8793; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140508779 - 19 May 2014

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 6496

Abstract

The logistics and cost of environmental monitoring can represent challenges for heritage managers, partly because of the sheer number of environmental parameters to consider. There is a need for a system, capable of monitoring the holistic impact of the environment on cultural materials while remaining relatively easy to use and providing remote access. This paper describes a dosimetric system based on piezoelectric quartz crystal technology. The prototype sensing module consists of an array of piezoelectric quartz crystals (PQC) coated with different metals (Fe, Cu, Ni and Sn) and includes a temperature and relative humidity sensor. The communication module involves an 802.15.4 low-power radio and a GPRS gateway which allows real time visualisation of the measurements online. An energy management protocol ensures that the system consumes very low power between measurements. The paper also describes the results and experiences from two heritage field deployments, at Apsley House in London, UK, and at the Royal Palaces of Abomey in Benin. Evaluation of PQC measurements, temperature, relative humidity and the rate of successful transmission over the communication systems are also reported. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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2330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Smartphone Sensors for Stone Lithography Authentication

by Giuseppe Schirripa Spagnolo, Lorenzo Cozzella and Donato Papalillo

Sensors 2014, 14(5), 8217-8234; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140508217 - 07 May 2014

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 8229

Abstract

Nowadays mobile phones include quality photo and video cameras, access to wireless networks and the internet, GPS assistance and other innovative systems. These facilities open them to innovative uses, other than the classical telephonic communication one. Smartphones are a more sophisticated version of classic mobile phones, which have advanced computing power, memory and connectivity. Because fake lithographs are flooding the art market, in this work, we propose a smartphone as simple, robust and efficient sensor for lithograph authentication. When we buy an artwork object, the seller issues a certificate of authenticity, which contains specific details about the artwork itself. Unscrupulous sellers can duplicate the classic certificates of authenticity, and then use them to “authenticate” non-genuine works of art. In this way, the buyer will have a copy of an original certificate to attest that the “not original artwork” is an original one. A solution for this problem would be to insert a system that links together the certificate and the related specific artwork. To do this it is necessary, for a single artwork, to find unique, unrepeatable, and unchangeable characteristics. In this article we propose an innovative method for the authentication of stone lithographs. We use the color spots distribution captured by means of a smartphone camera as a non-cloneable texture of the specific artworks and an information management system for verifying it in mobility stone lithography. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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1624 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Setup of Galvanic Sensors for the Monitoring of Gilded Bronzes

by Sara Goidanich, Davide Gulotta, Laura Brambilla, Ruben Beltrami, Paola Fermo and Lucia Toniolo

Sensors 2014, 14(4), 7066-7083; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140407066 - 22 Apr 2014

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 7983

Abstract

Traditional electrochemical techniques, such as linear polarization resistance (Rp), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cannot be applied to gilded bronzes, as it may not be possible to interpret the results obtained due to the bimetallic nature of the studied material. The measurement of the macrocouple current generated by the gold/bronze galvanic couple can be used as an indicator of degradation processes. Nevertheless, this measurement cannot be performed directly on the original artifacts due to the systematic presence of short-circuits between the two metals. In the present work the use of galvanic sensors is proposed as a possible solution for the monitoring of gilded bronze artefacts. The sensors have been designed to simulate real gilded bronze surfaces in terms of composition and stratigraphy and have proved to be a reliable diagnostic tool for the in situ monitoring of the rates of deterioration of gilded bronze surfaces and to test new conservation treatments. Their set-up and application is reported and their performances discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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1114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applications of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Sensors to Cultural Heritage

by Noemi Proietti, Donatella Capitani and Valeria Di Tullio

Sensors 2014, 14(4), 6977-6997; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140406977 - 21 Apr 2014

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 8137

Abstract

In recent years nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) sensors have been increasingly applied to investigate, characterize and monitor objects of cultural heritage interest. NMR is not confined to a few specific applications, but rather its use can be successfully extended to a wide number of different cultural heritage issues. A breakthrough has surely been the recent development of portable NMR sensors which can be applied in situ for non-destructive and non-invasive investigations. In this paper three studies illustrating the potential of NMR sensors in this field of research are reported. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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583 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Spectroscopy and Imaging: New Approaches to the Analysis of Cultural Heritage and Its Degradation

by Austin Nevin, Anna Cesaratto, Sara Bellei, Cosimo D'Andrea, Lucia Toniolo, Gianluca Valentini and Daniela Comelli

Sensors 2014, 14(4), 6338-6355; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140406338 - 02 Apr 2014

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 11983

Abstract

Applications of time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (TRPL) and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to the analysis of cultural heritage are presented. Examples range from historic wall paintings and stone sculptures to 20th century iconic design objects. A detailed description of the instrumentation developed and employed for analysis in the laboratory or in situ is given. Both instruments rely on a pulsed laser source coupled to a gated detection system, but differ in the type of information they provide. Applications of FLIM to the analysis of model samples and for the in-situ monitoring of works of art range from the analysis of organic materials and pigments in wall paintings, the detection of trace organic substances on stone sculptures, to the mapping of luminescence in late 19th century paintings. TRPL and FLIM are employed as sensors for the detection of the degradation of design objects made in plastic. Applications and avenues for future research are suggested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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2337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Minimal Camera Networks for 3D Image Based Modeling of Cultural Heritage Objects

by Bashar Alsadik, Markus Gerke, George Vosselman, Afrah Daham and Luma Jasim

Sensors 2014, 14(4), 5785-5804; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140405785 - 25 Mar 2014

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 9126

Abstract

3D modeling of cultural heritage objects like artifacts, statues and buildings is nowadays an important tool for virtual museums, preservation and restoration. In this paper, we introduce a method to automatically design a minimal imaging network for the 3D modeling of cultural heritage objects. This becomes important for reducing the image capture time and processing when documenting large and complex sites. Moreover, such a minimal camera network design is desirable for imaging non-digitally documented artifacts in museums and other archeological sites to avoid disturbing the visitors for a long time and/or moving delicate precious objects to complete the documentation task. The developed method is tested on the Iraqi famous statue “Lamassu”. Lamassu is a human-headed winged bull of over 4.25 m in height from the era of Ashurnasirpal II (883–859 BC). Close-range photogrammetry is used for the 3D modeling task where a dense ordered imaging network of 45 high resolution images were captured around Lamassu with an object sample distance of 1 mm. These images constitute a dense network and the aim of our study was to apply our method to reduce the number of images for the 3D modeling and at the same time preserve pre-defined point accuracy. Temporary control points were fixed evenly on the body of Lamassu and measured by using a total station for the external validation and scaling purpose. Two network filtering methods are implemented and three different software packages are used to investigate the efficiency of the image orientation and modeling of the statue in the filtered (reduced) image networks. Internal and external validation results prove that minimal image networks can provide highly accurate records and efficiency in terms of visualization, completeness, processing time (>60% reduction) and the final accuracy of 1 mm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Statistical Tools Applied in the Characterisation and Evaluation of a Thermo-Hygrometric Corrective Action Carried out at the Noheda Archaeological Site (Noheda, Spain)

by Miguel Ángel Valero, Paloma Merello, Ángel Fernández Navajas and Fernando-Juan García-Diego

Sensors 2014, 14(1), 1665-1679; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140101665 - 17 Jan 2014

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 6827

Abstract

The Noheda archaeological site is unique and exceptional for its size, and the quality and conservation condition of the Roman mosaic pavement covering its urban pars. In 2008 a tent was installed as protection from rain and sun. Being of interest to characterise the microclimate of the remains, six probes with relative humidity and temperature sensors were installed in 2013 for this purpose. Microclimate monitoring allowed us to check relative humidity differences resulting from the groundwater level, as well as inner sensors reaching maximum temperatures higher than the outdoors ones as a consequence of the non-ventilated tent covering the archaeological site. Microclimatic conditions in the archaeological site were deemed detrimental for the conservation of the mosaics. Thus, in summer 2013, expanded clay and geotextile were installed over the mosaics as a corrective action. The outcomes of this study have proven the effectiveness of this solution to control temperature and relative humidity, helping to configure a more stable microclimate suitable for preservation of the mosaic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Monitoring Architectural Heritage by Wireless Sensors Networks: San Gimignano — A Case Study

by Alessandro Mecocci and Andrea Abrardo

Sensors 2014, 14(1), 770-778; https://doi.org/10.3390/s140100770 - 03 Jan 2014

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6066

Abstract

This paper describes a wireless sensor network (WSN) used to monitor the health state of architectural heritage in real-time. The WSN has been deployed and tested on the “Rognosa” tower in the medieval village of San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy. This technology, being non-invasive, mimetic, and long lasting, is particularly well suited for long term monitoring and on-line diagnosis of the conservation state of heritage buildings. The proposed monitoring system comprises radio-equipped nodes linked to suitable sensors capable of monitoring crucial parameters like: temperature, humidity, masonry cracks, pouring rain, and visual light. The access to data is granted by a user interface for remote control. The WSN can autonomously send remote alarms when predefined thresholds are reached. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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1292 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Violin Bridge Mobility Analysis under In-Plane Excitation

by Cheng-Zhong Zhang, Guang-Ming Zhang, Bang-Yan Ye and Li-Dong Liang

Sensors 2013, 13(11), 15290-15306; https://doi.org/10.3390/s131115290 - 08 Nov 2013

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7934

Abstract

The vibration of a violin bridge is a dynamic contact vibration with two interfaces: strings-bridge, and bridge feet-top plate. In this paper, the mobility of an isolated bridge under in-plane excitation is explored using finite element modeling based on the contact vibration model. Numerical results show that the dynamic contact stiffness in the two contact interfaces has a great impact on the bridge mobility. A main resonance peak is observed in the frequency range of 2–3 kHz in the frequency response of the isolated bridge when the contact stiffness is smaller than a critical threshold. The main resonance peak frequency is affected by the contact stiffness as well. In order to verify the numerical findings, a novel experimental system is then designed on the basis of a piezoelectric dynamometer for bridge mobility analysis. Experimental results confirm the impact of the dynamic contact stiffness on the bridge mobility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensors for Cultural Heritage Diagnostics)

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