Interactive Media for Cultural Heritage

Recently, the latest edited book I co-authored with colleagues from CYENS – Centre of Excellence and the University of Cyprus was published by Springer Series on Cultural Computing. The book is entitled ‘Interactive Media for Cultural Heritage’ and presents the full range of interactive media technologies and their applications in Digital Cultural Heritage. It offers a forum for interaction and collaboration among the interactive media and cultural heritage research communities.

The aim of this book is to provide a point of reference for the latest advancements in the different fields of interactive media applied in Digital Cultural Heritage research, ranging from visual data acquisition, classification, analysis and synthesis, 3D modelling and reconstruction, to new forms of interactive media presentation, visualization and immersive experience provision via extended reality, collaborative spaces, serious games and digital storytelling.

More information:

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-61018-9

3D Face Scanning From Far

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and his colleagues built a device that can create detailed three-dimensional images, including ridges and indentations as small as 1 millimetre, from hundreds of metres away. It uses an imaging technique called lidar, emitting pulses of laser light that collide with objects then reflect back into the device. Based on how long each pulse takes to return, lidar can determine an object’s shape. The team had to calibrate and align many different components.

To enable it to distinguish single particles of light, the researchers used a light-detecting sensor based on an incredibly thin piece of superconducting wire, a component that isn’t common in lidar. Filtering out sunlight that could enter the detector and degrade the image was another challenge. The researchers tested their lidar system on a roof near their lab by taking detailed three-dimensional images of a team member’s head from 45 and 325 metres away. On a smaller scale, they captured Lego figurines from a distance of 32 metres.

More information:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2467107-new-device-can-scan-your-face-in-3d-from-hundreds-of-metres-away/