cultural_heritage
The proposed system in the research project funded by the Lazio Region (PICUS, translation into Latin of the Italian "Picchio", woodpecker) is a system for diagnosing adhesion defects between coating layers in artworks, inspired by the auscultation method performed by experts in the field of conservation and restoration. It involves the use of a probe equipped with a hitting device or a system that focuses an acoustic beam, which strikes the surface under examination, the measurement of the impact force, the recording of the sound generated by the impact, the comparison of the sound acquired with a reference, the calculation of some mathematical parameters that properly measure the extent of the detachment, and a localization system to establish the position in the plane of the probe. The probe is connected to a low cost electronic board which performs all the operations described. The system is intended as a portable and autonomous device (electronic multimeter type) that helps restorers to quickly map defects "in situ", allowing not only the diagnosis, but also the monitoring of defects over time present. The product has a very low final industrial cost, to allow its widest diffusion in the specialist market of restorers / conservators.
