Bridging research with innovative products: a compact hyperspectral camera for investigating artworks: a feasibility study

For more than a decade, a number of studies and research projects have been devoted to customize hyperspectral imaging techniques to the specific needs of conservation and applications in museum context. A growing scientific literature definitely demonstrated the effectiveness of reflectance hyperspectral imaging for non-invasive diagnostics and high-quality documentation of 2D artworks. Additional published studies tackle the problems of data-processing, with a focus on the development of algorithms and software platforms optimised for visualisation and exploitation of hyperspectral big-data sets acquired on paintings. This scenario proves that, also in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH), reflectance hyperspectral imaging has nowadays reached the stage of mature technology, and is ready for the transition from the R&D phase to the large-scale applications. In view of that, a novel concept of hyperspectral camera - featuring compactness, lightness and good usability - has been developed by SPECIM, Spectral Imaging Ltd. (Oulu, Finland), a company in manufacturing products for hyperspectral imaging. The camera is proposed as new tool for novel applications in the field of Cultural Heritage. The novelty of this device relies in its reduced dimensions and weight and in its user-friendly interface, which make this camera much more manageable and affordable than conventional hyperspectral instrumentation. The camera operates in the 400-1000nm spectral range and can be mounted on a tripod. It can operate from short-distance (tens of cm) to long distances (tens of meters) with different spatial resolutions. The first release of the prototype underwent a preliminary in-depth experimentation at the IFAC-CNR laboratories. This paper illustrates the feasibility study carried out on the new SPECIM hyperspectral camera, tested under different conditions on laboratory targets and artworks with the specific aim of defining its potentialities and weaknesses in its use in the Cultural Heritage field.