UCLDH Seminar Series: Project planning framework for 3D imaging in cultural heritage, including 3D image quality assessment

UCLDH Seminar Series

Project planning framework for 3D imaging in cultural heritage, including 3D image quality assessment

Speaker: Mona Hess, Research Manager at 3DIMPact (3D Imaging, Metrology & Photogrammetry), UCL Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering

The potential of 3D images is increasingly recognized by heritage professionals for opening up new technological possibilities for digital documentation, analysis and research, exhibition display and education. Currently there is no comprehensive understanding of what constitute 3D image qualities for a digital artefact, from the point of view of a heritage professional. In this talk, Mona Hess will give an overview of the qualitative research undertaken to explore heritage professionals’ requirements.

Via interviews and online surveys for the international heritage community, the survey gauged information about current adoption of 3D imaging technologies, priorities for 3D image quality and visions of future use. Despite a number of barriers, there is a high interest in 3D imaging technologies across heritage institutions and the museum sector. The qualitative research is complemented with metric quantitative characterisation of sensor capabilities by a new Portable Metric Heritage Test object with an associated rigorous testing procedure.

As an outcome of the research, a framework has been developed and tested to assess 3D image quality and to plan 3D imaging projects according to user requirements and sensor capabilities. The aim of a framework for 3D imaging for heritage is transferability to other 3D imaging projects in museums and heritage institutions.

Mona Hess offers a cross-disciplinary approach for 3D imaging metrology and 3D printing in cultural heritage, arts & humanities and for creative industries. She also holds a PhD in same subject area.