DADDI
(Digital Archive through Direct Digital
Imaging)
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/Dta/daddi-eng.html
The
project has recently been presented at
UNESCO in Paris as a model of digital
archive for the preservation of cultural
heritage assets. The project is about
researching and developing technologies
and methodologies necessary for the
creation of a ultra-high resolution (at
least 8,000 x 8,000 pixel with 48 bit
colour depth) digital image archive
where each image is digitally
watermarked for copyright protection. An
outcome of the project will be the
complete digital archive of the
collections of the Uffizi Gallery (about
2,000 works of art). The project which
started in 1999 in its experimental
stage is now formally ongoing. Besides
CENTRICA which is technical developer,
the project, sees the participation of
Florence’s Superintendency for
Cultural Heritage (beneficiary of the
final archive), the Advanced Technology
Department of the Uffizi Gallery
(general management, identification of
criteria methods and technologies of
digital capture, archival procedures,
fruition), Toppan Printing Co. Ltd
(contribution of technical know-how,
high resolution digital images taken at
their expense ), Laboratorio
Comunicazioni e Immagini (LCI) of the
Department of Electronic Engineering (DET)
of the University of Florence (digital
watermarking software development),
Phase One A/S (technical sponsor,
digital cameras), Seiko Epson
Corporation (technical sponsor, printing
systems for colour proofing).
ARCO
(Augmented Representation of Cultural
Objects)
http://www.arco-web.org
ARCO
is focused on developing innovative but
simple-to-use technology (based on both
state-of-the-art and ARCO specific
technology) for creating virtual
representations of museum objects using
image-based modelling solutions.
Manipulation of cultural object
representations will be through
interactive model refinement and
rendering, and management of these
representations using an XML driven
cultural object-relational database.
Presentation technology will be based on
augmented reality interfaces. All system
components will be integrated using XML
to provide data exchange and
interoperability. The project will
demonstrate its results via a series of
prototype system components leading to a
final integrated system that will be
evaluated both technically and
socio-economically. ARCO focuses on
serving the end-user by integrating
museum pilot sites (Victoria and Albert
Museum in London, and several regional
museums represented by the Sussex
Archaeological Society) in the
identification of user requirements and
the assessment and evaluation of
prototypes.
ORPHEUS
http://www.orpheus-edu.org
ORPHEUS
is based on an innovative idea,
especially as it concerns a service
covering the critical and problematic
digital content sector. Contents enable
the digital products and services of the
"new economy" to stand out and
therefore they are significant for the
added value of those digital services
and products. A competitive and dynamic
digital content sector in Europe is a
main prerequisite for Europe's success
in the new economy. The objective of the
ORPHEUS project as a whole is to reach
as many universities and students as
possible, all across Europe. Several
external users (mainly universities),
will be contacted in order to provide
valuable information about the
progresses of the overall system.
SCHEMA
(Network
of Excellence in Content-Based Semantic
Scene Analysis and Information Retrieval
http://www.iti.gr/SCHEMA
The
aim of the SCHEMA Network of
Excellence is to bring together a
critical mass of industrial partners,
end users, universities and research
centres in order to improve the
systematic exchange of information by
the forging of links between partners.
The SCHEMA Network of Excellence will
create a synergy and a
multiplier-effect enriching the
capabilities of the group of partners
by bringing together complementary
skills and know-how.
The following new research topics,
activities and standards will be
investigated in the SCHEMA Network:
-
Access
to the information using query
structures that come naturally to
human beings,
-
Retrieval
processes which understand the
nature of the information in the
database,
-
Content-based
multimedia analysis,
-
Copyright
issues of multimedia,
-
New
methods for multimedia access and
delivery,
-
Semantic
web technologies,
-
MPEG-7
and MPEG-21 standards,
-
User
interfaces and human factors.
Thus,
common R&D agendas will be
developed and new technical road maps
will de drawn in these areas, so that
European expertise and research
excellence are strengthened and
disseminated worldwide.
VITRA
(Veridical Imaging of Transmissive and
Reflective Artefacts)
http://www.vitra.org/
A
thirty-month European project
developing methods for the
acquisition, storage and visualisation
of high quality digital images of
details in historic buildings. It will
combine the use of robotic
technologies with digital imaging to
capture artefacts up to 15 mt above
ground level without the need for
scaffolding. Deliverables will include
interactive pseudo-3D panoramas, to illustrate often inaccessible buildings and
enhance the awareness of cultural
heritage. We aim at shifting the focus
of 3D representation away from
technological issues towards the
effective perception of the space by
visitors.
