Recently a new trend towards a more systematic use of Reflectance Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has emerged in major museums. Extensive acquisition of HSI data opens up new research topics in terms of comparative analysis, creation and population of spectral databases, linking and crossing information. However, a full exploitation of these big-size data-sets unavoidably raises new issues about data-handling and processing methods. Along with statistical and multivariate analysis, new solutions can be borrowed from the Artificial Intelligence (AI) area, using Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) methods. In this work different algorithms based on multivariate analysis and Artificial Intelligence methods are comparitevely applied to process HSI data acquired on three Picasso’ paintings from the Museu Picasso collection in Barcellona. By using a “data-mining approach” the HSI-data are examined to unveil new correlations and extract embedded information.
A large amount of iron and steel artifacts produced in the central European area between 2nd and 14th Centuries is constituted by pattern welded iron-phosphoric iron and steel components. Phosphoric iron is a substitutional alloy, which is obtained by using iron ore from swamps in which decomposition of dead organisms enriches the iron rich soil with phosphorous. The identification of phosphoric iron alloy in ancient artifacts is important for determining their place of origin, production procedure and technological characteristics. A well-established technique for investigating the bulk structure of ancient metallographic artifacts is neutron tomography, using cold neutrons. It provides image-data capable of enhancing differences between phosphorous rich iron and the standard iron areas. However, neutron imaging is costly and complex to implement. Therefore, the exploration of new techniques capable of providing additional data on the nature of alloys would be highly needed. A pilot study addressed to test the applicability of reflectance hyperspectral imaging to the investigation of ancient metallographic artifacts is presented here. So far this technique has been used for diagnostics of polychrome surfaces, but it has never been applied to investigation of metallic surfaces. Hyperspectral imaging in the VIS-NIR range (400-1700 nm) was applied on replicas of a historical object from the archaeological site of Kobilic (Croatia). The same replicas were analyzed also using neutron tomography. Hyperspectral data were elaborated to map the distribution of the different phases on the surface. The comparison of the hyperspectral data with the neutron tomography data-images provided prominent similarities. These preliminary results encourage further investigations on merging these two imaging techniques for novel applications on archeo-metallurgy.
For more than a decade, a number of studies and research projects have been devoted to customize hyperspectral imaging techniques to the specific needs of conservation and applications in museum context. A growing scientific literature definitely demonstrated the effectiveness of reflectance hyperspectral imaging for non-invasive diagnostics and highquality documentation of 2D artworks. Additional published studies tackle the problems of data-processing, with a focus on the development of algorithms and software platforms optimised for visualisation and exploitation of hyperspectral bigdata sets acquired on paintings. This scenario proves that, also in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH), reflectance hyperspectral imaging has nowadays reached the stage of mature technology, and is ready for the transition from the R&D phase to the large-scale applications. In view of that, a novel concept of hyperspectral camera - featuring compactness, lightness and good usability - has been developed by SPECIM, Spectral Imaging Ltd. (Oulu, Finland), a company in manufacturing products for hyperspectral imaging. The camera is proposed as new tool for novel applications in the field of Cultural Heritage. The novelty of this device relies in its reduced dimensions and weight and in its user-friendly interface, which make this camera much more manageable and affordable than conventional hyperspectral instrumentation. The camera operates in the 400-1000nm spectral range and can be mounted on a tripod. It can operate from short-distance (tens of cm) to long distances (tens of meters) with different spatial resolutions. The first release of the prototype underwent a preliminary in-depth experimentation at the IFAC-CNR laboratories. This paper illustrates the feasibility study carried out on the new SPECIM hyperspectral camera, tested under different conditions on laboratory targets and artworks with the specific aim of defining its potentialities and weaknesses in its use in the Cultural Heritage field.
Fluorescence LIDAR imaging has been already proposed in several studies as a valuable technique for the remote diagnostics and documentation of the monumental surfaces, with main applications referring to the detection and classification of biodeteriogens, the characterization of lithotypes, the detection and characterization protective coatings and also of some types of pigments. However, the conservation and documentation of the cultural heritage is an application field where a highly multi-disciplinary, integrated approach is typically required. In this respect, the fluorescence LIDAR technique can be particularly useful to provide an overall assessment of the whole investigated surface, which can be profitably used to identify those specific areas in which further analytical measurements or sampling for laboratory analysis are needed.
This paper presents some representative examples of the research carried out in the frame of the PRIMARTE project, with particular reference to the LIDAR data and their significance in conjunction with the other applied techniques. One of the major objectives of the project, actually, was the development of an integrated methodology for the combined use of data by using diverse techniques: from fluorescence LIDAR remote sensing to UV fluorescence and IR imaging, from IR thermography, georadar, 3D electric tomography to microwave reflectometry, from analytical techniques (FORS, FT-IR, GC-MS) to high resolution photo-documentation and historical archive studies. This method was applied to a 'pilot site', a chapel dating back to the fourteenth century, situated at 'Le Campora' site in the vicinity of Florence. All data have been integrated in a multi-medial tool for archiving, management, exploitation and dissemination purposes.
Nowadays hyperspectral imaging is a well-established methodology for the non-invasive diagnostics of polychrome surfaces, and is increasingly utilized in museums and conservation laboratories for documentation purposes and in support of restoration procedures. However, so far the applications of hyperspectral imaging have been mainly limited to easel paintings or paper-based artifacts. Indeed, specifically designed hyperspectral imagers, are usually used for applications in museum context. These devices work at short-distances from the targets and cover limited size surfaces. Instead, almost still unexplored remain the applications of hyperspectral imaging to the investigations of frescoes and large size mural paintings. For this type of artworks a remote sensing approach, based on sensors capable of acquiring hyperspectral data from distances of the order of tens of meters, is needed.
This paper illustrates an application of hyperspectral remote sensing to an important wall-painting by Beato Angelico, located in the San Marco Museum in Florence. Measurements were carried out using a re-adapted version of the Galileo Avionica Multisensor Hyperspectral System (SIM-GA), an avionic hyperspectral imager originally designed for applications from mobile platforms. This system operates in the 400-2500 nm range with over 700 channels, thus guaranteeing acquisition of high resolution hyperspectral data exploitable for materials identification and mapping. In the present application, the SIM-GA device was mounted on a static scanning platform for ground-based applications. The preliminary results obtained on the Angelico’s wall-painting are discussed, with highlights on the main technical issues addressed to optimize the SIM-GA system for new applications on cultural assets.
In recent years Hyper-Spectral Imaging (HSI) technologies have become well-established for applications in the field of Cultural Heritage, and in particular for non-invasive analysis and high quality documentation of paintings and other polychrome surfaces. This paper reports on the latest developments of the on-going research at IFAC-CNR, where a new prototype of a high-performance hyper-spectral scanner, operating in the NIR spectral region (900-1700nm range), was designed, assembled and tested. This new NIR scan-head was designed to be mounted on the same mechanical structure used for the earlier IFAC-CNR scanner prototype, which operated in the 400-900nm range. As ultimate goal the whole system would be intended to provide 2D hyper-spectral data on the extended 400-1700nm range, so as to strongly improve the capability of pigment discrimination, and to increase the possibility of visualizing the underlying features of the polychrome surfaces (such as under-drawings, pentimenti, etc.). In the present version, the NIR scan-head operates with a spectral sampling rate of about 2 nm, and a spatial sampling rate of about 9 dots per millimeter. The results of testing and characterization of the new high resolution NIR IFAC-CNR scanner are presented, with a focus on the main technical problems tackled in customizing the new system for the investigation and documentation of paintings.
Hyper-Spectral Imaging (HSI) has emerged in the last decade as one of the most promising technologies for
diagnostics and documentation of polychrome surfaces. Despite the fact that presently HSI is a well-established
technique for non-invasive investigations on paintings, a number of technological issues remain open and are
still topics for on-going studies. In particular, it is known that high spatial resolution is a crucial parameter for
obtaining high quality images, whereas the possibility to identify pictorial materials strictly depends on the
spectral resolution and on the extent of the spectral region investigated. At the same time, by increasing the
sampling rates in both the spatial and spectral dimensions, the size of the data-set will be enlarged and the
acquisition times will be lengthened. As a consequence, a good compromise between the acquisition of highquality
data and their application should always be reached, taking into account the specific purposes of the HSI
application. The above questions are discussed in the present work, which illustrates two applications of the
latest version of a hyperspectral scanner designed at IFAC-CNR for the digitization of artworks. The prototype
has recently been upgraded, with new visualization software as well as mechanical and optical improvements.
This high performance system operates in the 400-1000nm spectral range, with a spectral resolution of about 2-3
nm and a spatial sampling of 0.1 mm over areas of about 1 m2. Three case-studies are presented, which highlight
the importance of both high spatial and high spectral sampling rate in hyperspectral imaging. Two of the
examples reported focus on the full exploitation of the spatial resolution: the first one is a study performed on a
small painting, dated from the eighteenth century and belonging to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence; the second
case-study refers to the valuable "Carrand diptych" (14th century) from the Bargello Museum in Florence. The
last application, instead, shows the crucial importance of a high spectral resolution to identify selected pigments
in the oil-painting "Ritratto di Maffeo Barberini", dated around 1596-1600, which has recently been attributed to
Caravaggio.
Fluorescence spectroscopy carried out by means of optical fibers was used for the rapid screening of M1 aflatoxin in
milk, enabling the detection of concentrations up to the legal limit, which is 50 ppt. A compact fluorometric device
equipped with a LED source, a miniaturized spectrometer, and optical fibers for illumination/detection of the measuring
micro-cell was tested for measuring threshold values of AFM1 in pre-treated milk samples. Multivariate processing of
the spectral data made it possible to obtain a preliminary screening at the earlier stages of the industrial process, as well
as to discard contaminated milk stocks before their inclusion in the production chain.
A. Mignani, L. Ciaccheri, C. Cucci, A. Mencaglia, A. Cimato, C. Attilio, H. Thienpont, H. Ottevaere, R. Paolesse, M. Mastroianni, D. Monti, G. Buonocore, A. Del Nobile, A. Mentana, C. Dall'Asta, A. Faccini, G. Galaverna, A. Dossena
A selection of fiber-optic and micro-optic devices is presented designed and tested for monitoring the quality and safety
of typical foods, namely the extra virgin olive oil, the beer, and the milk. Scattered colorimetry is used for the
authentication of various types of extra virgin olive oil and beer, while a fiber-optic-based device for UV-VIS-NIR
absorption spectroscopy is exploited in order to obtain the hyperspectral optical signature of olive oil. This is done not
only for authentication purposes, but also so as to correlate the spectral data with the content of fatty acids that are
important nutritional factors. A micro-optic sensor for the detection of olive oil aroma is presented. It is capable of
distinguishing different ageing levels of extra virgin olive oil. It shows effective potential for acting as a smart cap of
bottled olive oil in order to achieve a non-destructive olfactory perception of oil ageing. Lastly, a compact portable
fluorometer is experimented for the rapid monitoring of the carcinogenic M1 aflatoxin in milk.
A compact fluorometric sensor equipped with a LED source and a high sensitivity PMT detector has been implemented for the selective detection of native fluorescence of aflatoxin AFM1 in liquid solutions. This compact and easy-to-handle device is addressed to the rapid monitoring of AFM1 in milk, enabling the detection of concentrations up to the legal limit, which is 50 ppt. The system is suitable for preliminary screening at the earlier stages of the industrial process, and makes it possible to discard contaminated milk stocks before their inclusion in the production chain.
Reflectance spectroscopy supplies fundamental information for investigating art objects and diagnosing their state of conservation. Until recently, reflectance spectra could be measured only on samples taken from the art objects. Recent progresses in fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) and image spectroscopy (IS) have made it possible, however, to perform non-invasive measurements. Moreover, the two techniques can supply data in large enough quantities as to make the use of sophisticated statistical methods significant for detecting variations due to ageing and degradation. FORS and IS are, in a sense, complementary techniques as the former provides information on single points, while the latter provides 2-D maps from which the reflectance spectrum of each pixel can be displayed. Both FORS and IS were applied in the case study on the Lansdowne version of the Madonna dei fusi (Madonna of the Yarnwinder). In particular, IS was realized by means of a hyper-spectral scanner recently assembled at the "Nello Carrara" Istituto di Fisica Applicata. The characteristics of the scanner are: 0.1 mm spatial sampling over a 1x1 m2 surface and ~1 nm spectral sampling in the wavelength range from 400 nm to 900 nm. The information provided by these two techniques was consistent with what supplied by the non-invasive techniques employed by the other teams participating in the case study, in particular as regards the pigments, the preparatory layer, the binding medium, and the previous restoration works.
Works of art exposed to excessive lighting suffer from color changes due to photo-oxidation or photo-reduction of the pigment/dye. Chromatic damage to artworks is not only the result of exposure to overly intense light, but can also be caused by the combined action of light with other environmental factors such as thermo-hygrometric variables and pollutants, which can amplify and accelerate photo-alteration. Therefore, the prevention of chromatic damage requires
measurement of the equivalent-light dose, i.e., the dose capable by itself of producing a color variation, without the contribution of other environmental factors. The system presented in this work performs a continual measurement of the equivalent-light dose so as to indicate the potential for chromatic alteration of the exhibition environment. Experimental results are presented, that were obtained during continual measurements over 300 days, part of which at the Uffizi Gallery of Florence.
The Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) technique has been widely employed for the study and the monitoring of the phytoplanktonic population in the marine environment. Herein a method for the characterization of different phytoplanktonic species by means of a high spectral resolution lidar fluorosensor is presented. The method is based on the detection of the changes in the peak position of the fluorescence of the chlorophyll a that is contained in all phytoplanktonic species. These changes are probably due to the proteic compounds that are present together with the chlorophyll in the thylakoid membranes within the chloroplasts and that vary with the phytoplanktonic species. The main advantage is that this method does not require the presence of characteristic fluorescence features of other light harvesting pigments, such as carotenoids or phycobilines, so that it can be used also with species where only chlorophyll fluorescence is present. Moreover, the light harvesting pigments usually show a weak fluorescence because of the strong resonant coupling between them.
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