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Simulation-aided infrared thermography with decomposition-based noise reduction for detecting defects in ancient
Guimin Jiang1,2, Xin Wang1, Jue Hu2
1School of Automation and Electrical Engineering, Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang, 110159 China.
Heritage Science
|October 23, 2023
Summary
This study uses infrared thermography and advanced image processing to non-destructively detect defects in ancient art. Numerical simulations verify findings, reducing damage to cultural heritage samples.
Area of Science:
- Art Conservation Science
- Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
- Heritage Science
Background:
- Ancient cultural heritage conservation increasingly relies on non-destructive testing (NDT) methods.
- Active infrared thermal imaging is a key NDT technique for detecting surface and internal defects in artifacts like polyptychs.
- Minimizing secondary damage to invaluable cultural heritage is paramount, limiting experimental repetitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of infrared thermography for non-invasive defect detection in tempera-based polyptych samples.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of advanced image processing algorithms in enhancing defect visibility.
- To utilize numerical simulations for experimental validation and reducing physical testing.
Main Methods:
- Infrared thermography was applied to two polyptych samples with artificial defects, mimicking 14th-century tempera techniques.
- Numerical simulations were employed to analyze heat transfer properties and temperature distributions for procedural verification.
- A total variation regularized low-rank tensor decomposition algorithm was implemented for noise reduction and contrast enhancement.
Main Results:
- Infrared thermography successfully identified artificial defects on and within the polyptych samples.
- Numerical simulations provided valuable insights into heat transfer, supporting experimental observations.
- The implemented image processing algorithm significantly improved image contrast and reduced background noise, enhancing defect observability.
Conclusions:
- Infrared thermography is a viable non-destructive method for evaluating the condition of tempera-based artworks.
- Combining infrared thermography with numerical simulation and advanced image processing offers a robust approach to art conservation.
- The developed techniques aid in preserving cultural heritage by enabling accurate defect detection with minimal physical interaction.
