Documenting and Triaging Cultural Heritage (DATCH): Damage Assessment and Digital Preservation

FAIN: HAA-277278-21

University of Central Florida Board of Trustees (Orlando, FL 32816-8005)
Scott Branting (Project Director: June 2020 to present)
Joseph Kider (Co Project Director: November 2020 to present)
Lori C. Walters (Co Project Director: November 2020 to present)

Development of augmented reality software for rapidly documenting cultural heritage artifacts from archaeology and related disciplines while doing fieldwork.

The Documenting and Triaging Cultural Heritage (DATCH) project will, building on the successful prototype created using funding provided by an NEH Digital Humanities Advancement Level II grant, further develop DATCH open-source software for field assessment and documentation of built and movable cultural heritage using augmented reality hardware. It will permit real-time overlay comparisons of cultural heritage against earlier documentation and enable creation of to scale drawings, even in the field without a network connection. An internet connection will allow additional features, such as video calls with subject experts, to facilitate rapid needs assessments of heritage sites and enable on-site multi-disciplinary collaborations. With our goal of creating a cross platform system for head-mounted augmented reality devices, DATCH will continue to be developed in Unity and field-tested with different versions of Microsoft’s HoloLens and Magic Leap One.

Associated Products

DATCH Project Website (Web Resource)
Title: DATCH Project Website
Author: The DATCH Project
Abstract: The main website for the DATCH Project.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: http://ucfdatch.org
Secondary URL: https://sciences.ucf.edu/anthropology/datch/

DATCH GitHub Repository (Web Resource)
Title: DATCH GitHub Repository
Author: DATCH Project
Abstract: This is the GitHub repository that holds stable versions of the developed software along with documentation.
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://github.com/datch-ucf/datch2

The New Era of Simulation (Web Resource)
Title: The New Era of Simulation
Author: Nicole Dudenhoefer
Abstract: UCF Pegasus magazine article about UCF's School of Modeling, Simulation and Training (SMST) and the Institute of Simulation and Training (IST) which house the project Co-PIs. DATCH is one of the applications featured in the article.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/the-new-era-of-simulation/

The 2022 Season of the Kerkenes Project (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The 2022 Season of the Kerkenes Project
Author: Scott Branting
Author: Joseph W. Lehner
Author: Sevil Baltalı Tırpan
Author: Gökçe Bike Yazıcıoğlu-Santamaria
Author: Dominique Langis-Barsetti
Author: Tuna Kalaycı
Author: Sarah R. Graff
Author: Nilüfer Baturayoğlu Yöney
Author: Amanda Groff
Author: Soran Avcıl
Author: Jessica Robkin
Author: Alain Goupil
Author: Étienne Beaulac
Author: Rana Özbal
Author: Fokke Gerritsen
Author: Sydney Hunter
Author: Canan Çakırlar Oddens
Author: Laurien Folkerts
Author: Ruben Komen
Abstract: Report on the 2022 summer field season, including DATCH testing.
Date: 11/19/2022
Conference Name: American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) Annual Meeting - Chicago, IL

Kerkenes 2019-2021 (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Kerkenes 2019-2021
Author: Scott Branting
Abstract: Report on the Kerkenes Project that included ongoing field testing of DATCH in 2022.
Date: 5/25/2022
Conference Name: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism - 42nd International Symposium of Excavations, Surveys, and Archaeometry - Denizli,Turkey.

The Rise and Fall of Kerkenes: New Technologies for Exploring Cities of the Past (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: The Rise and Fall of Kerkenes: New Technologies for Exploring Cities of the Past
Abstract: Public presentation for Timesifters - Florida Anthropological Society on the Kerkenes Project that included discussion of the DATCH development and field testing.
Author: Scott Branting
Date: 1/18/2023
Location: Sarasota, FL

Kerkenes 2020-2021 (Article)
Title: Kerkenes 2020-2021
Author: Scott Branting
Author: Sevil Baltalı Tirpan
Author: G. Bike Yazıcıoğlu Santamaria
Author: Joseph W. Lehner
Author: Dominique Langis-Barsetti
Author: Soran Avcıl
Author: Nilüfer Baturayoğlu Yöney
Author: Tuna Kalaycı
Author: Sarah R. Graff
Author: Amanda Groff
Author: Lucas Proctor
Author: Jessica Robkin
Author: Sydney A. Hunter
Author: Geoffrey Mann
Abstract: Report on the 2020 and 2021 field seasons of the Kerkenes Project, including in 2021 the announcement of the award and preliminary directions of work.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/tr-44760/kazi-sonuclari-toplantilari.html
Primary URL Description: KST 42 available for download
Access Model: Open access
Format: Other
Periodical Title: Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı 42(5)
Publisher: Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture

Digital Documentation of the Cappadocia Gate at Kerkenes in Yozgat, Turkey (Article)
Title: Digital Documentation of the Cappadocia Gate at Kerkenes in Yozgat, Turkey
Author: Nilüfer Baturayoğlu Yöney
Author: Scott Branting
Author: Çıngı Salman
Author: Doğan Tekin
Author: Dominique Langis-Barsetti
Author: Nurçe Düzalan Salman
Author: Jessica Robkin
Abstract: Article reporting on different digital documentation processes utilized at the archaeological site of Kerkenes for heritage monitoring through 2022.
Year: 2023
Primary URL: https://jfa.arch.metu.edu.tr/en/issue/40-1
Primary URL Description: METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture volume 40, issue 1 information and download page.
Access Model: Open access
Format: Journal
Periodical Title: METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture 40(1)
Publisher: Middle Eastern Technical University Press

Kerkenes and Gordion: Reflecting on Recent Research at Kerkenes - Kerkenes’teki Son Araştırmalar Işığında, Kerkenes ve Gordion (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Kerkenes and Gordion: Reflecting on Recent Research at Kerkenes - Kerkenes’teki Son Araştırmalar Işığında, Kerkenes ve Gordion
Author: Scott Branting
Abstract: Public presentation on the fieldwork at Kerkenes, including the DATCH Project.
Date: 7/13/23
Conference Name: Gordion and its Neighbours in the Middle Phrygian Period

The DATCH Project (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The DATCH Project
Author: Joseph T. Kider Jr.
Abstract: Invited participant in the symposium co-sponsored by the USC Mellon Humanities in a Digital World (HiDW) program and the Ahmanson Lab at the USC Libraries.
Date: 8/21/2023
Conference Name: Immersive Technologies and Cultural Heritage (ITCH) Symposium

The 2023 Season of the Kerkenes Project (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The 2023 Season of the Kerkenes Project
Author: Scott Branting
Author: Joseph W. Lehner
Author: Sevil Baltalı Tırpan
Author: Gökçe Bike Yazıcıoğlu-Santamaria
Author: Dominique Langis-Barsetti
Author: Tuna Kalaycı
Author: Sarah R. Graff
Author: Nilüfer Baturayoğlu Yöney
Author: Amanda Groff
Author: Soran Avcıl
Author: Canan Çakırlar Oddens
Author: Jessica Robkin
Author: Laurien Folkerts
Author: Ruben Komen
Author: Étienne Beaulac
Author: Alain Goupil
Author: Annalise Whalen
Author: Atakan Atabaş
Author: Alexandria Orozco
Abstract: Report on the 2023 field season of the Kerkenes archaeological project, including the field testing of DATCH.
Date: 11/18/23
Conference Name: American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) Annual Meeting

Considerations for Visualization and Documentation of Human Remains in Bioanthropology (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Considerations for Visualization and Documentation of Human Remains in Bioanthropology
Author: Alexandria Orozco
Author: Joseph T. Kider Jr.
Author: Lori Walters
Author: Scott Branting
Abstract: Workshop exploring digital documentation and visualization tools for human remains.
Date: 3/22/2024
Conference Name: American Association of Biological Anthropologists (AABA) Annual Meeting

Advancing Interdisciplinary Research with Immersive Technologies in Cultural Heritage (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Advancing Interdisciplinary Research with Immersive Technologies in Cultural Heritage
Abstract: Public lecture that included the DATCH Project
Author: Joseph T. Kider Jr.
Date: 1/26/2024
Location: Orlando, FL
Primary URL: https://www.cecs.ucf.edu/web/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/web-accessible-Jan-26-2024-faculty-research-talk-flier.pdf
Primary URL Description: Flier announcing the talk

Laser Scanning America's Past (AMH4594) - University of Central Florida (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Laser Scanning America's Past (AMH4594) - University of Central Florida
Author: Lori Walters
Abstract: Class period included discussion and demonstration of DATCH
Year: 2025
Audience: Undergraduate

Kerkenes 2022 (Article)
Title: Kerkenes 2022
Author: Scott Branting
Author: Sevil Baltalı Tırpan
Author: Gökçe Bike Yazıcıoğlu
Author: Joseph W. Lehner
Author: Dominique Langis-Barsetti
Author: Soran Avcıl
Author: Nilüfer Baturayoğlu Yöney
Author: Tuna Kalaycı
Author: Sarah R. Graff
Author: Amanda Groff
Author: Canan Çakırlar Oddens
Author: Jessica Robkin
Author: Sydney A. Hunter
Author: Laurien Folkerts
Author: Ruben Komen
Author: Alexandria Orozco
Abstract: Report on the 2022 field seasons of the Kerkenes Project, including development and field testing of DATCH.
Year: 2024
Primary URL: https://kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/tr-44760/kazi-sonuclari-toplantilari.html
Primary URL Description: Volumes available for download
Access Model: Open access
Format: Other
Periodical Title: Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı 43(6)
Publisher: Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture

Cultural Heritage Management Through Community Engagement and Technology (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Cultural Heritage Management Through Community Engagement and Technology
Abstract: DATCH was presented as part of a research presentation at the UCF History Department during her successful hire as a tenure track faculty member.
Author: Jessica Robkin
Date: 4/4/2024
Location: Orlando, FL

Immersive Technologies Research for the PIXEL Lab (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Immersive Technologies Research for the PIXEL Lab
Abstract: DATCH was presented as part of a research presentation to the Clemson University visual computing group.
Author: Joseph T. Kider
Date: 9/21/2024
Location: Clemson, South Carolina

The Anthropologist's Toolkit at Work (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: The Anthropologist's Toolkit at Work
Abstract: DATCH formed a key portion of this research talk presented at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater's Department of Sociology, Criminology and Anthropology.
Author: Alexandria Orozco
Date: 2/7/2025
Location: Whitewater, Wisconsin

What Does an Archaeologist Do? (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: What Does an Archaeologist Do?
Abstract: Lecture and activities for the 3rd Grade Classes at Goldsboro Elementary School which included DATCH.
Author: Scott Branting
Date: 11/12/2024
Location: Sanford, Florida

Kerkenes 2023 (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Kerkenes 2023
Author: Scott Branting
Abstract: Report on the Kerkenes Project that included ongoing field testing of DATCH in 2023.
Date: 5/28/2024
Conference Name: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism - 44th International Symposium of Excavations, Surveys, and Archaeometry - Nevsehir,Turkey.

The 2024 Season of the Kerkenes Project (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: The 2024 Season of the Kerkenes Project
Author: Scott Branting
Author: Joseph W. Lehner
Author: Sevil Baltalı Tırpan
Author: Gökçe Bike Yazıcıoğlu
Author: Dominique Langis-Barsetti
Author: Tuna Kalaycı
Author: Sarah R. Graff
Author: Nilüfer Baturayoğlu Yöney
Author: Amanda Groff
Author: Soran Avcıl
Author: Jessica Robkin
Author: Tim Brown
Author: Canan Çakırlar Oddens
Author: Lucas Proctor
Author: Alexandria Orozco
Author: Laurien Folkerts
Author: Ruben Komen
Author: Tanya Schnare
Author: Sydney Hunter
Author: Annalise Whalen
Author: Atakan Atabas
Abstract: Report on the 2024 summer field season, including DATCH testing and development work.
Date: 11/23/2024
Conference Name: American Society of Overseas Research (ASOR) Annual Meeting - Boston, MA

Geospatial Technologies from Kerkenes: Past, Present, and Future Developments (Conference Paper/Presentation)
Title: Geospatial Technologies from Kerkenes: Past, Present, and Future Developments
Author: Jessica R. Robkin
Author: Scott Branting
Abstract: Presentation at a NASA sponsored symposium in Huntsville, Alabama where we presented on DATCH and other developing technologies.
Date: 9/19/2024
Conference Name: NASA and Archaeology from Space: A Symposium in Honor of Dr. Thomas L. Sever - Huntsville, Alabama

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