Real-time identification and visualization of Egyptian blue using modified night vision goggles
Name
12210_2024_Article_1245.pdf
Size
3.26 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
bb45911d8962d67fc8d41d70170eda5e
Author(s)
Nicola, Marco
Gobetto, Roberto
Bazzacco, Alessandro
Anselmi, Chiara
Ferraris, Enrico
Russo, Alfonsina
Masic, Admir
Sgamellotti, Antonio
Date Issued
April 22, 2024
Journal
Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Citation
Nicola, M., Gobetto, R., Bazzacco, A. et al. Real-time identification and visualization of Egyptian blue using modified night vision goggles. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei (2024).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The possibility to use light in the visible spectrum to induce near-infrared luminescence in some materials, particularly Egyptian blue and related pigments, offers a significant advantage in terms of their detection. Since 2008, this property has been exploited to reveal the presence of those pigments even in tiny amounts on ancient and decayed surfaces, using a technical-photography method. This paper presents a new type of imaging device that enables real-time, easy, and inexpensive identification and mapping of Egyptian blue and related materials. The potential of the new tool is demonstrated by its effectiveness in detecting Egyptian blue within some prestigious sites: (a) Egyptian findings at Museo Egizio, Turin; (b) underground Roman frescoes at Domus Aurea, Rome; and (c) Renaissance frescoes by Raphael, Triumph of Galatea and Loggia of Cupid and Psyche, at Villa Farnesina, Rome. The device is based on night vision technology and allows an unprecedented fast, versatile, and user-friendly approach. It is employable by professionals including archeologists, conservators, and conservation scientists, as well as by untrained individuals such as students or tourists at museums and sites. The overall aim is not to replace existing photographic techniques but to develop a tool that enables rapid preliminary recognition, useful for planning the work to be carried out with conventional methods. The ability to immediately track Egyptian blue and related pigments, through real-time vision, photos, and videos, also provides a new kind of immersive experience (Blue Vision) and can foster the modern use of these materials in innovative applications and future technologies.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-024-01245-w
