Underwater archaeological excavations present unique challenges, particularly when conducted at s... more Underwater archaeological excavations present unique challenges, particularly when conducted at significant depths where divers face limited time on the archaeological site. Traditional methods of recording excavation progress, such as manual documentation and drawings, are too time-consuming when the time on the site totals no more than 12 min. To address these limitations, this paper introduces an innovative approach for daily recording and observation of underwater archaeological excavations using 3D photogrammetric models and point of view (PoV) cameras developed specifically for the excavation of a shipwreck situated at a depth of 110 m. The proposed system leverages advancements in photogrammetry and 3D modelling techniques to capture and analyse detailed visual data of the excavation site on a daily basis. Three-dimensional photogrammetric models offer a comprehensive and easily accessible representation of the excavation site, enabling the team to record and analyse excavati...
Printing or downloading to a local hard disk for your personal and non-commercial use only, ackno... more Printing or downloading to a local hard disk for your personal and non-commercial use only, acknowledging this report as the source of the material. ii. Copying to other individual third parties for their personal use, acknowledging this report as the source of the material. This report and its contents may not, except with the express written permission of the copyright holders, be distributed or commercially exploited, nor may it be transmitted or stored in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system except as described in (i) above.
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2019
A key challenge in cultural heritage (CH) sites visualization is to provide models and tools that... more A key challenge in cultural heritage (CH) sites visualization is to provide models and tools that effectively integrate the content of a CH data with domain-specific knowledge so that the users can query, interpret and consume the visualized information. Moreover, it is important that the intelligent visualization systems are interoperable in the semantic web environment and thus, capable of establishing a methodology to acquire, integrate, analyze, generate and share numeric contents and associated knowledge in human and machine-readable Web. In this paper, we present a model, a methodology and a software Web-tools that support the coupling of the 2D/3D Web representation with the knowledge graph database of Xlendi shipwreck. The Web visualization tools and the knowledge-based techniques are married into a photogrammetry driven ontological model while at the same time, user-friendly web tools for querying and semantic consumption of the shipwreck information are introduced.
A shipwreck was discovered in deep-water during a systematic side-scan sonar survey conducted in ... more A shipwreck was discovered in deep-water during a systematic side-scan sonar survey conducted in 2007 by Malta's heritage authorities and the University of Malta. Located off the coast of the island of Gozo, Malta, this site was the subject of a series of further in-depth studies that spanned over 10 years. Throughout this period, a number of different technologies were used to explore, record and study the site. This paper provides an overall description, analysis and evaluation of the various technologies and methodologies used to investigate this site.
ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
Cultural Heritage (CH) resources are partial, heterogeneous, discontinuous, and subject to ongoin... more Cultural Heritage (CH) resources are partial, heterogeneous, discontinuous, and subject to ongoing updates and revisions. The use of semantic web technologies associated with 3D graphical tools is proposed to improve access, exploration, exploitation and enrichment of these CH data in a standardized and more structured form. This article presents the monitoring work developed for more than ten years on the excavation of the Xlendi site. Around an exceptional shipwreck, the oldest from the Archaic period in the Western Mediterranean, we have set up a unique excavation at a depth of 110m assisted by a rigorous and continuous photogrammetry campaign. All the collected results are modelled by an ontology and visualized with virtual and augmented reality tools that allow a bidirectional link between the proposed graphical representations and the non-graphical archaeological data. It is also important to highlight the development of an innovative 3D mobile app that lets users study and understand the site as well as experience sensations close to those of a diver visiting the site.
The seabed can be considered as the world’s largest museum, and underwater sites explored and stu... more The seabed can be considered as the world’s largest museum, and underwater sites explored and studied so far provide priceless information on human interaction with the sea. In recognition of the importance of this cultural resource, UNESCO, in its 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, determined that objects/sites should be preserved in situ, whilst also advocating for public access and sharing. The implementation of these principles is not without difficulties. Some states have opened up underwater sites to the public—mainly through diving, yet the vast majority of the world’s population does not dive. In Malta, 7000 years of human occupation is reflected in and on the landscape, and recent offshore surveys show that the islands’ long and complex history has also left an indelible mark on the seabed. Besides difficulties related to their protection and management, these sites also present a challenge with regard to sharing and communicating. Recent...
HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire Class armoured cruiser that saw action at the Battle of Jutland in... more HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire Class armoured cruiser that saw action at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Immediately after the battle, the ship was tasked with transporting Field Marshall Lord Kitchener to Russia on a diplomatic mission. The ship hit mines laid by U-75 approximately 1.5 miles North of Orkney at Birsay Head and sank with a loss of 737 men, including Kitchener and his staff. To commemorate the centenary of the ship's loss, the MoD granted a survey licence to an international team of technical diving and sub-sea imaging specialists in May/June 2016. This paper will present the results of the diver survey carried out at a depth of 65 metres and describe the challenges of creating accurate 3D images of the wreck using photogrammetry in a deep, dark and hostile environment. The resulting 3D models are presented using immersive virtual reality technology (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift) at real World scale, emulating the diver's experience on the seabed.
Uploads
Papers by Kari Hyttinen