Sally MacDonald Yean-Hoon Ong Mona Hess Francesca Millar E-Curator 3D colour scans for remote object identification and assessment Dr Ian Brown Dr Graeme Were Dr Stuart Robson

UCL Context 3 Museums open to the public, 10 departmental collections Half a million objects and specimens First Arius3D Foundation Scanner in Europe providing state of the art colour artefact scanning Interdisciplinary expertise

3 Museums open to the public, 10 departmental collections

Half a million objects and specimens

First Arius3D Foundation Scanner in Europe providing state of the art colour artefact scanning

Interdisciplinary expertise

Research issues Need for curators, conservators etc to have physical access to objects for: object identification/ comparison condition monitoring, within institutions and for touring exhibitions Limitations of the catalogue entry and the conservation report

Need for curators, conservators etc to have physical access to objects for:

object identification/ comparison

condition monitoring, within institutions and for touring exhibitions

Limitations of the catalogue entry and the conservation report

Project Aims Develop a repeatable methodology for recording surface detail and colour quality of range of object types and materials Explore potential for producing validated datasets to allow closer and more scientific examination of groups of objects, their manufacture and issues of wear and deterioration Examine how resulting datasets could be transmitted, shared and compared Begin to build expertise in use and transmission of 3D scan data as a curatorial tool

Develop a repeatable methodology for recording surface detail and colour quality of range of object types and materials

Explore potential for producing validated datasets to allow closer and more scientific examination of groups of objects, their manufacture and issues of wear and deterioration

Examine how resulting datasets could be transmitted, shared and compared

Begin to build expertise in use and transmission of 3D scan data as a curatorial tool

3D Colour Laser Scanning 6 pilot object from UCL Museums and Collections to form the core study Scanning with the Arius 3D Foundation Model 150 colour scanner, accuracy 0.25mm, point spacing 100 x 100 microns, geometric and colour information (XYZ RGB) Red, Green and Blue Lasers Lens Mirror

6 pilot object from UCL Museums and Collections to form the core study

Scanning with the Arius 3D Foundation Model 150 colour scanner, accuracy 0.25mm, point spacing 100 x 100 microns, geometric and colour information (XYZ RGB)

3D Colour Laser Scanning Scan results of the Petrie Quartzite UC55606. Minute surface features become visible through the 3D scan.

Russel painting – Criteria for choosing this painting as pilot object Object size Object geometry Color range Surface reflectivity Surface texture Previous research

Object size

Object geometry

Color range

Surface reflectivity

Surface texture

Previous research

Russel painting – scanning process - 1

Russel painting – scan results - images

Russel painting – scan results - analysis

Is the production of an image; science or art?

Technician

Conservator

Evaluation of 3D scanning with Arius3D One same object can have different end-results because of Experience of the person scanning the object Object characteristics/ geometry Scanner components functionality Ambient lighting during the scan Scanning method and approach to record geometry Import options into Postprocessing-Software (Pointstream) Accuracy of matching/ “best-fit” in Pointstream Color editing Filtering and compression mode

One same object can have different end-results because of

Experience of the person scanning the object

Object characteristics/ geometry

Scanner components functionality

Ambient lighting during the scan

Scanning method and approach to record geometry

Import options into Postprocessing-Software (Pointstream)

Accuracy of matching/ “best-fit” in Pointstream

Color editing

Filtering and compression mode

Workshops for Curators and Conservators to produce a detailed specification for the user interface and review criteria Requirements gathering workshops

Workshops for Curators and Conservators to produce a detailed specification for the user interface and review criteria

E-Curator Application (Technology) Web-based application Server side: Storage Resource Broker (SRB), MCAT, Java Server Pages (JSP), servlets Client side: Javascript, AJAX

Web-based application

Server side:

Storage Resource Broker (SRB), MCAT, Java Server Pages (JSP), servlets

Client side:

Javascript, AJAX

E-Curator Application (Prototype)

E-Curator Application (Interface) Embed 3D scan images within web pages 3DImagePlayer: an ActiveX control from Arius3D Tools are available for users to tumble, pan, zoom and rotate the 3D images and to alter lighting conditions and colour display

Embed 3D scan images within web pages

3DImagePlayer: an ActiveX control from Arius3D

Tools are available for users to tumble, pan, zoom and rotate the 3D images and to alter lighting conditions and colour display

E-Curator Application (Interface) Metadata provides information about artefact The GUI facilitates viewing, comparing and analysing museums artefacts

Metadata provides information about artefact

The GUI facilitates viewing, comparing and analysing museums artefacts

Issues of concern for the museum framing The digital image reforms ideas on aura, authority, authorship and reality In praxis it mediates different sensuous engagements, material knowledge and attachments Brings into context issues on the rights to the image, copyright, repatriation and management of knowledge

The digital image reforms ideas on aura, authority, authorship and reality

In praxis it mediates different sensuous engagements, material knowledge and attachments

Brings into context issues on the rights to the image, copyright, repatriation and management of knowledge

Field sites for research Extended multi sited ethnographic fieldwork in London at UCL museums and collections and in Oxford at the Pitt Rivers museum. Further research in Toronto at the Royal Ontario museum and Arius 3D

Extended multi sited ethnographic fieldwork in London at UCL museums and collections and in Oxford at the Pitt Rivers museum. Further research in Toronto at the Royal Ontario museum and Arius 3D

Contact E-curator Team [email_address] More information about the E-curator project: http://www.museums.ucl.ac.uk/research/ecurator/

E-curator Team [email_address]

More information about the E-curator project: http://www.museums.ucl.ac.uk/research/ecurator/