1. Enable scalable and cost-effective documentation of archaeological findings• The demonstration of a hardware and software system prototype capable to quickly and semi-

automatically acquire shape characteristics of archaeological findings. • Documentation will include text and visual representations and the production of drawings. • The system front-end will run on a mobile device, to ensure easy use on-site.

Completion data: Feb. 2018 early release (MS6) / Jan. 2019 final release (D. 7.2)

2. Enable digitization of current catalogues (by automatic processes), including the conversion from raster to digital conceptual models of the artefact classes defined in the catalogues.• The demonstration of a system prototype for the digitization of the catalogue and the production

of conceptual models of the classes defined.

Completion data: Jan. 2017 early release (MS3) / Sept. 2017 final release (D.4.1) / Nov. 2017 evaluation (feedback at the end of WP4)

The aims of the Project

3. Enable on-the-field support to the archaeologist in the interpretation phase.• The demonstration of an enhanced version of the system running on mobile platforms, which will

include also the component supporting the interpretation phase. • Instruments for supporting the professional in the visual analysis of the finding, proposing

possible matches (run over a remote server storing the digital catalogue of classes, produced in Obj. 2).

Completion data: Feb. 2018 early release (MS6) / Jan. 2019 final release (D.7.2) / Jan. 2019 evaluation (D. 8.1)

4. Enable the archival of all data produced on a remote archive, supporting also access through advanced presentation tools. • The demonstration of the complete version of the system running on mobile platforms, which will

include the final component for data archival on remote repositories. • The system will enable the archival of all data produced that will be accessible also via a

standard web-based interface; it will provide also advanced visual presentation tools to enable the inspection of the media files.

Completion data: Feb. 2018 early release (MS6) / Jan. 2019 final release (D. 7.2) / Jan. 2019 evaluation (D.8.1)

5. Enable reuse of all data collected and preserved in the open data repository • The realisation of an open data archival policy, which is able to provide long-term preservation

and as wide as possible data reuse. • The release of web APIs for REST services, in order to allow the creation of new applications

and the possible economic exploitation of the data collected.

Completion data: Jan. 2019 final release (D.10.4)

6. Evaluating the impact in real conditions• The objective and subjective evaluation of principal system components, performed by means of

experiments and user studies developed in real working conditions.

Completion data: Jan. 2019 (D. 8.1)

7. Establishing the conditions for a successful adoption and exploitation of project outcomes

Completion data: Feb. 2019 (D.10.5)

The pipeline

Two structural components are at the base of our project:

• The digitized corpus of catalogues (produced by WP5, by means of technologies defined in WP4)

• The overall data archive, storing both the digitized catalogues and the results of previous archaeological campaigns (including both raw data and final documentation produced)

The Project

Research on algorithms needed to implement this framework:

• focus on technologies for the digitization of paper catalogues, to convert paper document in digital format (solving problems as digitization, OCR, detection of figures) and how to enable the semi-automatic conversion of raster drawings into a geometric 2D description of each ceramic class (based on drawings and profiles); designing those technologies will be the scope of WP4.

• focus on efficient and robust algorithms and data structure for supporting the search by similarity of fragments description file with respect to the database of profiles recollected from catalogues; this research will be the focus of WP6.

Prototype software platform

A system working on mobile devices to be used as the preferred interface for data entry, sketch-based drafting of profiles and interface to the centralized data base

A data base front-end, giving access to the data and to the functionalities of the overall system to be used on desktop computers, with a GUI implemented as a web interface running in all common web browsers.

Tested by users and experts

Final release

Dissemination/Exploitation

Open dataData visualisation

ArchAIDE

10 Working Packages

General activities(horizontal activities for the entire project)

Focused activities (include a subset of partners focusing on specific themes)

Common activities(involving all the partners)

WP1 ManagementW

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P10 archiving, dissemination and exploitation

WP2 Methodologies, specification and design

WP3 Creation of the Application database

WP4 Technologies for the digitization of

catalogues

WP5 Database population WP6 Similarity search

and retrieval

WP7 System (mobile tool and desktop front-

end)

WP8 Test and assessment on

application scenarios

The Work plan

WP1- Management June 2016 - May 2019 General activity Leader UNIPI All partner involved

WP1 will guarantee the correct: • implementation of the overall management, • monitoring of the project and its activities• achievement of the project objectives (including technical management, financial monitoring,

quality control and the setup of the decision-making structure).

WP2 - Methodologies, specification and design June 2016 - January 2017 Common activity Leader UNIPI All partner involved

This is a CENTRAL ASSET in the project, that will bring to the first milestone (September 2016) and will therefore be foundation for the work to be accomplished in WP 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. WP2 will define the methodological approach for identifying, gathering and structuring the required data sources in order to design the project database, defining the application scenario, the data representation schemes, the algorithmic solutions for shape-based recognition/identification and, finally, the overall ICT system specifications.

WP3 - Creation of the Application Database October 2016 – November 2017 Focused activity Leader UoY, with INERA, UNIPI,

CNR, UCO, UB

Creation of the application database, that will play the role of the repository for all the background knowledge and all the knowledge produced while using the project tools on the field. This data, contributed by the technologies and progress of WP4 and WP5, will be used by the tools and components developed in WP6 and WP7. The database will be stored on the pre-existing UoY infrastructure (ADS).

WP4 -Technologies for the digitization of catalogues October 2016 – November 2017 Focused activity Leader CNR, with INERA,

TAU,UNIPI, UCO

WP4 will be dedicated to design, implementation and test of the technologies to transform the paper pottery catalogues in a digitized version. This will entail the raw digitization of printed catalogues, as well as the segmentation of the scanned raster pages in semantically distinct components. WP4 will require the design of innovative algorithms to convert raster drawings into the vector graphics representation selected in WP2 that should support the subsequent shape-based similarity search kernels. Digitization should be implemented as a fast, easy to learn and as much as possible automatic solution.

WP5 - Population of the Database February 2017 – January 2018 Focused activity Leader UCO, with UoY, INERA,

UNIPI, CNR, UB, Elements, BARAKA

WP5 will populate the newly designed database (created in WP3) with data, using the technologies developed in WP4. The database for Roman Amphorae of the ADS and the database CERAMALEX for Hellenistic and Roman pottery in Alexandria will be integrated in the database. MS4 is provided to deliver a first working set on the ADS archive (July 2017).

WP6 - Shape and image-based similarity search and retrieval October 2016 – September 2018 Focused activity Leader TAU, with INERA, UNIPI,

CNR

WP6 will define the tools required to assist the identification of the potsherds, by linking each of them to the related class/tipology in a semi-automatic manner. A shape-based and perceptual search engine will be designed and implemented, together with a flexible visualization and documentation interface helping the user in analysing the ranked result set and taking the correct attribution decision. There will be an intermediate milestone (MS5 SW beta release) in September 2017.

WP7 -The mobile tool and Front end Desktop ApplicationFebruary 2017 – January 2019 Focused activity Leader INERA, with UoY, UNIPI,

CNR, UCO, UB, Elements, BARAKA

Design and implementation of a mobile tool and a front end desktop application that will be the on-the-field interface between the user and the database. WP7 will end together with WP8, in order to receive continuous feedbacks from the test beds carried on in WP8. First version of the application ready to tested in the field (MS6) on February 2018.

WP8 -Test and assessment of the overall system on application scenarios March 2018 – January 2019 Focused activity Leader UB, with UNIPI, CNR,

BARAKA, Elements

WP8 will test and assess the overall system on real application scenarios. The test beds will be carried out on the basis of the specifications defined in WP2. The rationale of those test beds is to evaluate the application usability though heuristic evaluation and tests with different types of users (professionals and academic). First assessment of the overall system (MS7) on November 2018.

WP9 - Communication/Public engagement/Innovation June 2016 –May 2019 General activity Leader UNIPI All partner involved

Objective of this WP is to communicate the progress and implementation of the project, in order to maximise its impact beyond the project community. The communication activities will be focused on reaching the main communities of interest for the project, as well as other domains of potential utilization of the technologies developed, and are expected to attract the attention of the media and the public.

WP10 Archiving, Dissemination and Exploitation June 2016 –May 2019 General activity Leader UoY All partner involved

WP10 will be devoted to archival, dissemination and promotion of the results of the project. It will follow the best practice with regard to open data use and re-use. The activity will include demonstrations (workshops, meetings, fairs) to the research community and to the market, archiving the resulting data by the ADS according to standard processes, and freely disseminating the data online through the ADS archive.

Timeline

N. DATE MILESTONEMS1 Sept 30th, 2016 Preliminary report about the archaeological and technical

specification of the system (UNIPI)

MS2 Jan 31th, 2017 First version of the database ready for being populated (UoY)

MS3 Jan 31th, 2017 First validated version of the technologies for the digitization of paper catalogues ready to be used for starting DB population (CNR)

MS4 July 31th, 2017 First release of the populated database ready to be used in the development of WPs7 and 8 (UCO)

MS5 Sept. 30th, 2017 First software release for pairwise similarity between ceramics (TAU)

MS6 Feb. 28th, 2018 First version of the application ready to be tested in the field (INERA)

MS7 Nov. 30th , 2018 First assessment of the overall system (UB)