The RTI FoF: Reflectance Transformation Imaging Follow-on Funding project

2012年10月，英国广播公司网站描述了公民科学的潜力-在这种情况下，许多来自公众的人获得专业知识并共同致力于解决一个给定的问题-以解开最古老的未破译文字的秘密。该功能在第一天就获得了超过100万的点击量和25，000个社交媒体分享。评论必须关闭，因为有这么多人自愿参加。RTI FoF项目将使吸引公众注意力的可能结果得以实现，而且还将产生一套与许多其他学术，博物馆学，执法和商业应用相关的可视化和公民科学工具。AHRC RTISAD和同一团队随后的相关项目收集了大量适合重复使用的数据，以及所有相关技术的知识，全球正在进行的研究以及反射变换成像（RTI）在许多情况下的潜力。这些都是由于缺乏一个易于使用的，免费的查看器，允许RTI数据进行交互，注释和在线共享的限制。该项目将根据AHRC RTISAD项目的经验，通过我们的合作者，制作查看器软件，并将其嵌入到公民科学框架和iPad应用程序中，以提供与RTI数据的不同形式的交互。为了在短时间内获得最大收益，该项目将探索一系列小型案例研究，使用与小型用户群体相匹配的强大人机交互评估方法。我们也希望这个项目能刺激更多的商业和学术研究和开发。案例研究：原始埃兰人在公元前3200年到公元前2900年之间在现代伊朗西南部的一个地区使用。我们认为，其复杂性的秘密在于文本中存在的错误。通过使用RTI FoF项目开发的计算技术，来自世界各地的各种背景的公民研究人员将能够可视化并协作比较和注释文本。一个突破可能迫在眉睫。这也将作为一种机制，教育公众了解古代文献和具体的问题解决方法。RTISAD团队和严重有组织犯罪署之间的讨论确定了RTI工具的执法潜力和为古代文献和考古材料的艺术和人文研究开发的专业知识。所有参与RTISAD的博物馆专家都认识到RTI在教学和公众参与方面的价值，特别是在物品过于脆弱而无法与之互动或无法保存的情况下。RTI FoF将利用观众提供新的形式来访问对象，主要是古代纺织品和楔形文字板。在平板电脑的情况下，iPad查看器将在iPad mini上运行。该设备与许多原始平板电脑的尺寸和形状相匹配。通过使用iPad跟踪空间方向的能力（以及iPad摄像头捕获的光线模式），它将使用户能够复制用于阅读这些神秘物体的光与影之间的相互作用。没有其他设备提供这种完美的数字复制一个5000年前的技术，和名称“平板电脑”使它完美！RTISAD证明了RTI在可视化和解释古代纺织品方面的价值。RTI FoF将通过与纺织和时尚商业实践的研究人员和学生合作，探索现代纺织和营销环境中的新观众。RTISAD项目继续通过其员工传授的专业知识和购买的设备支持一系列社区遗产项目。与所有其他案例研究一样，缺乏在线观众限制了这一潜力，因此RTI FoF将与教堂保护信托基金一起评估正在进行的项目中的新观众。

In October 2012 the BBC website described the potential of citizen science - in this case many people from the public gaining expertise and working together on a given problem - to unlock the secrets of the oldest undeciphered writing. The feature received more than a million hits on the first day and 25,000 social media shares. Comments had to be closed as so many people were volunteering to take part. The RTI FoF project will enable the possible outcomes that so captured the public's attention to be realised, and more than that will produce a set of visualisation and citizen science tools relevant to many other academic, museological, law enforcement and commercial applications. AHRC RTISAD and subsequent related projects by the same team have gathered a great deal of data suitable for re-use, and knowledge of all relevant technologies, ongoing research worldwide and the potential of Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) in many contexts. These are all limited by the lack of an easy to use, free viewer that allows RTI data to be interacted with, annotated and shared on-line. This project will produce viewer software based on the experience gained in the AHRC RTISAD project and through our collaborators, and embed it in a citizen science framework and an iPad app to provide different forms of interaction with RTI data.To gain the maximum benefit within a short time-frame, the project will explore a series of small case studies using robust Human Computer Interaction evaluation methods that match with small user groups. We also hope that this project will stimulate more commercial and academic research and development.Case studies:Proto-Elamite was used between around 3200BC and 2900BC in a region now in the south west of modern Iran. We believe that the secret to its complexity lies in errors present in the texts. By using the computing technologies developed by the RTI FoF project citizen researchers from all backgrounds and across the world will be able to visualise and collaboratively compare and annotate the texts. A breakthrough could be imminent. This will also act as a mechanism to educate the public about ancient documents and specific problem solving methods.Discussions between the RTISAD team and the Serious Organised Crime Agency identified law enforcement potential of the RTI tools and expertise developed for arts and humanities research on ancient documents and archaeological materials. This project will evaluate the new viewers in specific law enforcement contexts.All museum specialists involved in RTISAD recognise the value of RTI for teaching and public engagement, particularly where objects are too fragile to be interacted with or remain in store out of view. RTI FoF will use the viewers to provide new forms of access to objects, primarily ancient textiles and cuneiform tablets. In the case of tablets the iPad viewer will run on iPad minis. This device matches the size and shape of many of the original tablets. By using the iPad's ability to track orientation in space (and potentially the pattern of light captured by the iPad camera) it will enable the user to replicate the interaction between light and shade used to read these enigmatic objects. No other device affords this perfect digital replication of a 5000 year old technology, and the name "tablet" makes it perfect!RTISAD proved the value of RTI in visualising and interpreting ancient textiles. RTI FoF will explore the new viewers in modern textile and marketing contexts, through collaboration with researchers and students in textile and fashion business practice.The RTISAD project continues to support a range of community heritage projects, via the expertise passed on by its staff and the equipment purchased. As in all other case studies the lack of an on-line viewer has restricted the potential of this and therefore RTI FoF will evaluate the new viewers on an on-going project with the Churches Conservation Trust.