Hidden dimensions: 3D scanner reveals the inner secrets of artworks

"The application allows the user to actually see inside the painting. For instance, in (one) painting we've discovered a mysterious number 34 drawn underneath the colour layers. We also discovered that one of the capes was originally green"
It has long been known that, below the surface, works of art often contain important information about how they were created. However, revealing those secrets in a way that does not damage the object is a major challenge for art experts.
Now, researchers at the University of Oviedo in northern Spain think they have the answer: a scanner using the highly versatile material, graphene.
Samuel Ver Hoeye, a telecommunications engineer involved in the research explained its advantages:
“Graphene acts as a frequency multiplier. It is able to generate higher frequency signals out of lower frequencies, in a relatively easy way. Graphene also allows us to go deeper into the work of art, and to identify the chemical composition of its materials,” he said.
Graphene scanner
The pictures obtained with the graphene scanner are then combined with image processing techniques and 3D high-performance scanning to generate images of sealed 3D objects, whose hidden secrets can then be studied more easily.
Yannick Francken, a computer scientist with 4DDynamics who is also working on the EU-funded programme demonstrated the computer-imaging process:
“What you see (here) is the real colour of the works of art. It has been virtually illuminated, and virtually recorded by a camera. Technically the most challenging part is to combine all the individual scans. These scans need to be automatically aligned. And if that is not perfectly done, within a 0.2 millimetre accuracy, then we get really bad colour reconstruction.”
The scanner was designed by scientists at a European research project studying both 3D objects and paintings, which have a 2- dimensional surface. The scanner has a versatility much needed in the world of art conservation and restoration, as research project coordinator Javier Gutiérrez Meana explained:
“Existing scanners for works of art are currently very expensive. Our technology has been designed to be much cheaper. It results in a compact, lighter scanner that can easily be transported to museums or laboratories to study objects.”
Beneath the surface
Conservation experts at the Asturias Museum of Fine Arts provided researchers with canvasses to test their device on. It was also
tested on valuable historical pieces from the museum’s collection.
Marta Flórez Igual, one of the museums conservators, said the results were encouraging: “We can discover the depth of the varnish and the colour layers. We can see if there were preliminary drawings beneath the actual painting, and what the materials used for those drawings were. We are also trying to see if the scanner is also able to identify the different materials inside the painting, like varnishes, binders and pigments.”
User experience
Data from the graphene scanner is currently being used to develop a smartphone application based on Augmented Reality.
Museum visitors could ultimately interact with the artworks in a deeper and more engaged way, Meana believes:
“The application allows the user to actually see inside the painting. For instance, in (one) painting we’ve discovered a mysterious number 34 drawn underneath the colour layers. We also discovered that one of the capes was originally green.”
Researchers hope that the graphene scanner and its applications could become a market reality in less than 5 years.

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Recharging without cables: the road ahead for electric cars

"As far as electronics are concerned, we've developed 99 percent of its full potential and we have what is needed to produce an efficient wireless charging station"

Electric vehicles are undoubtedly a form of transport with a future, but many technical challenges have to be overcome before they replace petrol and diesel-fuelled cars.

Researchers in Zaragoza in northern Spain are working on resolving one of the biggest problems; how to efficiently recharge batteries.

The scientists involved in the EU-supported Unplugged project have developed an innovative wireless charging station for electric vehicles. Unlike other systems it can charge electric cars or vans in around 20 minutes.

Lourdes García, an industrial engineer with Endesa, said the position of the coils is key: “The system works with coils that are buried under the tarmac of the charging station. It’s use inductive technology. The coil is energized from the electric grid. When the vehicle is positioned correctly on the charging station, a connection is made between the coils and the car. The coils transfer energy to the car. It’s a very flexible, modular system. You can charge cars, vans or electric buses”.

Researchers say the method is easier, safer, more vandalism-proof and has less visual impact than charging with cables.

José Francisco Sanz Osorio, an industrial engineer with the Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption said they are now turning to industry to help complete the testing: “As far as electronics are concerned, we’ve developed 99 percent of its full potential and we have what is needed to produce an efficient wireless charging station.

“The remaining work concerns coils; that is where we are lagging behind. We need to find coil manufacturers interested in this product. But these coils are so innovative, that it is still hard to find those manufacturers,” he said.

The project also aims to convince the public of the benefits of electric vehicles.

But firstly, there were major technical challenges to overcome, as Axel Barkow, an electronics engineer and project coordinator explained: “First on the level of communication, that is, how to make operable the communication between the car and the infrastructure. “Then on the level of energy transmission. That is: How can a 3,7 KW car be charged at a 50 KW charging station. And finally we were addressing the problem of positioning, because positioning the car correctly – that means positioning the coils under the station in line with those on the car. That has a big impact on charging efficiency.”

So how can drivers get the full potential of this technology?

The answer lies in developing a system that assists drivers to position their cars exactly over the charging coils, so no energy is wasted. Barkow’s colleague Jörg Küfen said their solution involves magnetic fields, optics systems and algorithms: “At the end of the project we’re now at a point where we can say, that with a camera and a radio frequency identification (RFID) support system we can enable a driver to approach the inductive charging system in the correct way.”

More research is needed to increase the charging station’s potential and to optimise its operability, according to José Francisco Sanz Osorio: “We’re working at a given frequency, but in other countries they can be working with a different frequency. So we need to harmonize those frequencies. We also need to agree on the size of the coils, on the distances of electric emissions. All this is needed for the system to be fully interoperable”.

“I think as far as cars are concerned we are very close to a serial production, said Barkow. “That is, I think, we will see cars that are equipped with this technology within the next one or two years”.

The next big issue, researchers say, is how to develop a dynamic charging system, that will allow vehicles to be charged on the move on motorways and streets.

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ancient civilisation fell victim to comet 13,000 years ago

The former journalist him had pointed to this lost civilisation existence, but despite his book selling around three million copies, he was ridiculed by academics, and a BBC Horizon programme had even aimed to demolish his theory.
Now, 20 years later, Hancock is set to publish a 500-page sequel titled 'Magicians of the Gods,' which has the "smoking gun" to prove his critics wrong.
It contains a series of geophysics and geological papers containing proof that Earth was indeed hit by a comet about 12,800 years ago. The comet has been masked because it struck ice and did not leave a crater.
The new book will be published in September.

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Green cover in Odisha threatened by mining

Bhubaneswar: Odisha's decision to open more mines is set to affect the green cover in the state further, environmentalists have warned.
The state has witnessed significant loss of forest land over the years due to mining and industrial projects. It has lost a large chunk of forest cover following the diversion of forest land.
About 44,351 hectares of forest land have been diverted by the end of 2014 under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for different projects.
Environmentalist and wildlife activist Lala A.K. Singh told IANS that large-scale mining activities would affect the green cover further. "The decision of the government to open up more mines will destroy forest areas in the state," he said.
"The government should ask the mine lease holders to extract minerals in the incomplete mines rather than going in for new areas. Mining in fresh areas means cutting of trees."
Data with the office of the principal chief conservator of forests showed that forests were fast losing out predominantly to mining in the state.
About 20,265 hectares of forest land have been diverted for 164 mining projects in Odisha followed by irrigation projects (about 9,712 hectares). Industries account for 4,265 hectares.
Odisha has allowed reopening of 29 mines and proposes to open several others.
The government, however, said it had taken up compensatory afforestation against forest land diverted for non-forestry activities.
The government said it has carried out compensatory afforestation drive in 42,910 hectares by June 2014 and has targeted to cover 5,428 hectares of land in 2015-16.
The total requirement for compensatory afforestation against forest land diversion for various projects has been pegged at 56,831 hectares, said a forest department official.
"We are taking up several measures for increasing forest cover in the state. While the forest cover has increased significantly in the state, we have decided to look for saplings of 120 million plants at various places this year," principal chief conservator of forests J.D. Sharma told IANS.
The official said several projects from the state were still awaiting clearance from the union environment ministry.
Meanwhile, the Odisha High Court issued notice to the central and Odisha governments over non-payment of net present value (NPV) of around Rs.715 crore by 111 mining lease holders for using forest land for non-forestry purpose.
The NPV is the amount the user agencies need to deposit for diversion of forest land for use of non-forestry purpose.
The fund is to be used for regeneration of forests, forest management, protection, infrastructure development, wildlife protection and management.

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NASA certifies SpaceX to launch big-ticket science probes

Washington: NASA has formally certified US-based Space Exploration Technologies Corporation's (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket to launch the most ambitious science missions.
The Falcon 9 is now certified by NASA as a "Category 2" launch vehicle. SpaceX has successfully launched six re-supply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the NASA contract.
NASA and SpaceX began pursuing the certification of the Falcon 9 in 2012. SpaceX won an $82 million contract to launch the Jason 3 mission -- a project jointly funded by the US and France to measure sea roughness.
The Jason 3 mission is scheduled for lift-off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in July. The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket will deploy the 1,124 pound spacecraft into orbit 830 miles above the Earth.
The satellite will then activate a radar altimeter to bounce signals off the world's oceans to measure wave height, sea level rise and other data that are important for weather forecasting, oceanography and climate change research.
"The certification now clears the Falcon 9 to launch what NASA calls 'medium-risk' science missions, a classification that includes most of the agency's Earth observation satellites and many of its interplanetary probes," said NASA spokesperson George Diller in a statement.
The launch will be the Falcon 9's second flight. The first launch of Falcon 9 from California was in September, 2013.

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Pollution discolouring Taj Mahal: ASI

Agra: Centuries of pollution is slowly turning the Taj Mahal yellow despite continuing government efforts to save the historic monument in northern India, officials of the Archeological Survey have said.

The primary sources of pollution are a cemetery near the monument and sewer lines surrounding the Taj, officials added.

Dust particles and carbon gases emanating from the burning of biomass at the cemetery every day, combined with poisonous gases arising from the nearby sewer and the polluted river Yamuna settle on the white marble of the Taj Mahal, causing it to turn yellow.

"You might have seen the polluted environment on both sides of the Taj Mahal. The methane gases that emanate from these places are such that you cannot stand near them. It is a different matter that our officials have repeatedly spent millions of rupees to try to clean the Taj and its environment. But if you see the condition now, poisonous gases arising from the sewer and the polluted river Yamuna continues to affect the monument," said member, Supreme Court committee to monitor environmental threats to Taj Mahal, D.K Joshi in Agra.

He added that though efforts to beautify the Taj Mahal have been taken from time to time, no adequate measures to ensure safety and security of the monument were being taken.

Joshi's comments gain significance in the backdrop of government telling Parliament earlier this week that required actions were being taken to reduce pollution in the vicinity of the Mughal era monument.

"The marble of the Taj Mahal is turning yellow because of the dust particles coming out of the environment. We are continuing our efforts to remove the dust particles and other harmful gases. So some portions get cleaned but deposition of dust and carbon particles also continue. As a result the process of pollution and cleaning go on happening in a cycle," said Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, Agra, Dr Bhuvan Vikrama.

The Rs 650 crore government programme, launched between 1998 and 2000 after the monument's famous white marble was seen to be turning yellow, has had some impact, but not enough to keep up with pollution around the site, environmentalists say.

Increasing urbanization and industrialization in Agra contribute to environmental pollution taking the pollution levels in the city to two or three times above the global pollution standards.

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