Diana Wood Conroy

3D Geometric and Haptic Modeling of Hand-Woven Textile Artifacts

Haptic Modeling of textile has attracted significant interest over the last decade. In spite of extensive research, no generic system has been proposed. The previous work mainly assumes that textile has a 2D planar structure. They also require time-consuming objective measurement of textile properties in mechanical/physical model construction. A novel approach for haptic modeling of textile is proposed to overcome the existing shortcomings. The method is generic, assumes a 3D structure textile artifact, and deploys computational intelligence to estimate textile mechanical and physical properties. The approach is designed primarily for display of textile artifacts in museums. The haptic model is constructed by superimposing the mechanical model of textile over its 3D geometrical model. Digital image processing is applied to the still image of textile to identify its pattern and structure. In order to deal with the non-linearities associated with the textile, a fuzzy rule-based expert system is deployed. This information is then used to generate a 3D geometric model of the artifact in VRML. Selected mechanical and physical properties of the textile are estimated by an artificial neural network with the textile geometric characteristics and yarn properties as inputs. The neural network learning and verification and validation processes are carried out by a sample data set. The mechanical properties are used in the construction of the textile mechanical model. The haptic rendered model is generated by superimposing the physical/mechanical model over the 3D geometric model. This model has been implemented and rendered in Reachin environment, provided an interactive Virtual Reality environment where the user can navigate the graphic 3D presentation of the textile and touch it by a haptic device. Different samples have been modeled and the whole approach has been validated. The interface can be provided in both in the physical environment and through the cyberspace. The validation of method indicates the feasibility of the approach and its superiority to other haptic modeling algorithms.

Geometric and haptic modelling of textile artefacts

Geometric modelling and haptic rendering of textiles is an area of research in which interest has significantly increased over the last decade. A haptic representation is created by adding the physical properties of an object to its geometric configuration. While research has been conducted into geometric modelling of fabrics, current systems require textile data to be manually entered into the computer simulation by a technician. This study explores the possibility of automatic generation of geometric and haptic models of real world textile samples. The development of a scalable and generic methodology for geometric and haptic modelling of plain weave textiles made from wool yarn is reported. This system has been successfully implemented using a step-wise procedure. Initially, an image of the textile artefact is captured. Then the critical features of the image are extracted from the image and deployed in a finite element model. The geometric model is augmented by adding physical properties of the textile and developing the haptic model. Two different haptic rendering procedures are implemented based on Reachin Application Programming Interface 3.2 (API). The developed methodologies are described and results obtained are provided.

Cyprus: Antipodeans and the hidden weaves of antiquity

Cyprus is an island of ancient hybrid cultures in the eastern Mediterranean: polyglot, insular, luminously beautiful, but also edgily divided against itself in bitter politics that is symbolised through the religious divisions between Orthodox Christianity and Islam. Andros is the largest island in the Cyclades, characterised by silent immensities and hills sculptured with schist walls and paths from another time. In 1967 and 1973, I attended a University of Sydney study season in Andros, under Alexander Cambitoglou, making archaeological drawings and weaving at night. Since 1995, I have participated in the excavation of the theatre in Paphos, in western Cyprus, directed by Richard Green and Craig Barker and have observed the gradual uncovering of the orchestra, stage building, and entrances of the Greco-Roman theatre. This essay uncovers my own experience within the larger story of how Australians have come to be in Cyprus, and, later, in Andros, digging up their pasts. Is there a reverse colonialism in this movement to excavate another countrys past? Beginning with James Stewart in 1937, I trace the movement of Australian archaeology on these two islands. Delving into the worlds of classical antiquity is, I argue, related to the historical European confrontation with the large scope of Indigenous antiquity. Through working with the Tiwi on Bathurst Island off northern Australia, I sense that there is a kind of Aboriginality in searching the classical past.