Kerstin Barup

Hyperspectral fluorescence lidar imaging at the Colosseum, Rome

Fluorescence lidar techniques offer considerable potential for remote, non-invasive diagnostics of stone cultural heritage in the outdoor environment. Here we present the results of a joint Italian-Swedish experiment, deploying two hyperspectral fluorescence lidar imaging systems, for the documentation of past conservation interventions on the Colosseum, Rome. Several portions of the monument were scanned and we show that it was possible to discriminate among masonry materials, reinforcement structures and protective coatings inserted during past conservation interventions, on the basis of their fluorescence signatures, providing useful information for a first quick, large-scale in situ screening of the monument.

Fluorescence lidar multispectral imaging for diagnosis of historical monuments - Övedskloster, a Swedish case study

A fluorescence lidar measurement has been performed on the castle Ovedskloster in Sweden. A mobile system from the Lund University was placed at ~40 m distance from the sandstone facade. The lidar system, which uses a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser with a 355-nm pulsed beam, induces fluorescence in each target point. Areas were studied by using whisk-broom scans. The possibility of detecting biodeteriogens on the surface and characterization of materials was confirmed. The method can be a tool for conservation planning and status control of the architectural heritage where fluorescence light can point out features that are not normally visible under natural illumination.

Remote Multicolor Excitation Laser-Induced Fluorescence Imaging

Remote laser-induced fluorescence of stone materials was performed with application towards cultural heritage. Fluorescence was induced in targets ∼60 m from a mobile lidar laboratory by ultraviolet laser light, either from a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser or from an optical parametric oscillator system. Analysis was performed on combined spectra from the different excitation wavelengths and it was noted that important additional information can be gained when using several excitation wavelengths.

Fluorescence lidar measurements at the archaeological site House of Augustus at Palatino, Rome

Early diagnostics and documentation fulfill an essential role for an effective planning of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage assets. In particular, remote sensing techniques that do not require the use of scaffolds or lifts, such as fluoresence lidar, can provide useful information to obtain an overall assessment of the status of the investigated surfaces and can be exploited to address analytical studies in selected areas. Here we present the results of a joint Italian-Swedish project focused on documenting and recording the status of some sections of the part closed to the public by using fluorescence hyperspectral imaging lidar. The lidar used a tripled-frequency Nd:YAG laser emitting at 355 nm as excitation source and an intensified, gated 512x512-pixel CCD as detector. The lidar had imaging capabilities thanks to a computer-controlled scanning mirror. The fluorescence characteristics of fresco wall paintings were compared to those of fresco fragments found at the same archaeological site and separately examined in the lab using FT-IR and Raman techniques for the identification of pigments. The fluorescence lidar was also used to remotely detect the growth of phototrophic biodeteriogens on the walls. The fluorescence lidar data were compared with results from biological sampling, cultivation and laboratory analysis by molecular techniques.

Laser-induced fluorescence imaging for studies of cultural heritage - art. no. 66180P

Laser-induced fluorescence for remote imaging of historical monuments is an established technique, which in this work has been used in measurement campaigns at the Coliseum and the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome, Italy. The results presented here are examples that show that biodeteriogens can be monitored and that materials can be identified. Also, cleaned and soiled areas on the stone can be localized and differences between soiling can be found, which may be useful in the sustainable conservation for mapping and evaluation.

Remote laser-induced fluorescence imaging for assessment of cultural heritage

In this paper, we propose to perform remote laser-induced fluorescence imaging for assessment of cultural heritage. The experiments are performed using the lidar system consist of frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm with a spot size of ~4 cm diameter and the signal is collected using a coaxial 40-cm-diameter Newtonian telescope. The fluorescence light is focused into an optical fibre and guided a time-gated optical multichannel analyser system, where the fluorescence spectrum is recorded. Then the laser directed to the next point and thus a fluorescence image can be produced