A robotic system for digital photography

The European collaborative research project IST-2000-28008-VITRA ('Veridical Imaging of Transmissive and Reflective Artefacts') developed an innovative system for high-resolution digital image acquisition for conservation and heritage applications. Using a robotic platform to carry both camera and lighting, it can capture colorimetric images up to 15 metres above floor level, thus eliminating the need for scaffold towers. Potential applications include wall-paintings, tapestries, friezes and stained glass windows in historic buildings such as churches, cathedrals, palaces and monuments. Evaluation of the system was conducted at four sites in Germany and the UK. In the course of the project a number of significant technical innovations were made, including a new panoramic image viewer for the Internet.