Hongo, Kenji
DEVELOPMENT OF IMAGE-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM
FOR RESTORATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
Kenji Hongo*, Ryuji Matsuoka*, Seiju Fujiwara*, Katsuhiko Masuda** and Shigeo Aoki**
* Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd. Tokyo, JAPAN
kenji_hongo@kkc.co.jp, ryuji_matsuoka@kkc.co.jp, seiju_fuj iwara@kkc.co.jp
** Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties, Tokyo, JAPAN
katuhiko@tobunken.go.jp, saoki@tobunken. go.jp
KEY WORDS: Data acquisition, Database, Image processing, Orthophoto, Photogrammetry, System
ABSTRACT
An image-based information management system for restoration of cultural heritages has been developed. Precise
records of the current status of a cultural heritage are necessary to preserve or restore it. Preservation or restoration plan
can be made based on the current status of the object. The precise records of the object have been available by
photogrammetric technique, but there are too few expensive photogrammetric instruments and experienced
photogrammetrists at a heritage site. Accordingly, we decided to develop an amateur system for recording current status
of the object by digital cameras, assisting a restoration researcher to make appropriate restoration plans, and then
managing information about restoration histories of the object. Our system is based on digital photogrammetry, image
processing and GIS technologies, and fundamental data of the system are digital ortho-images made from images
acquired by digital still cameras. The system was designed for a restoration researcher who is neither photogrammetrist
nor image processing specialist. The major advantage of the system is that it is easy for a nonprofessional to operate it.
A restoration scientist without photogrammetric or image processing know-how can operate the system after short-
period training. The second advantage of the system is that the hardware of the system is compact and not expensive.
Main hardware components of the system are digital still cameras, lighting equipment, a note-type PC, a printer, and a
removable storage device. Since all hardware components of the system are for all purposes and available on the market,
the cost of the system becomes low.
1 INTRODUCTION
A lot of precious old cultural heritages remain all over the world. These heritages are of great value for human being in
both history and art. Some of these old cultural heritages, such as mural paintings of Takamatsuduka tumulus in Nara in
Japan, face a crisis that these are going to be collapsed naturally and/or artificially. These become gradually worse by
weathering, plants, animals and human activities. Appropriate treatments for these are urgently requested at present.
Although various technologies have been attempted to preserve or restore old cultural heritages, it is the most important
to record the current status of the object precisely and preservation or restoration histories of them accurately. These
records are necessary to monitor status of both damaged parts and restored parts of the target. A restoration researcher
can make an appropriate preservation or restoration plan based on these records.
However, precise and accurate records of an old cultural heritage are not necessarily available. Precise records of the
current status of the object have been available by photogrammetric technique, but this photogrammetric work is
manual labor and requires a great deal of time and cost. Conventional photogrammetric instruments are too expensive
and there is no experienced photogrammetrist working at many heritage sites. And furthermore, since information such
as position and extent of damages has been managed usually on an analog map and/or analog inventory, this has made a
restoration research inconvenient to make an appropriate preservation or restoration plan.
Therefore we determined to develop an amateur system for recording current status of an old cultural heritage by digital
cameras, assisting a restoration researcher to make appropriate preservation or restoration plans, and then managing
restoration information such as date, position, treatment method, used chemicals and so on. The system was requested
to be such as a restoration scientist without photogrammetric or image processing know-how can operate the system
with short-period training.
372 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B5. Amsterdam 2000.
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