Real-time 3D Archaeological Field Recording: Development of an interoperable open-source GIS data entry system.

FAIN: HD-51297-11

Regents of the University of California, San Diego (La Jolla, CA 92093-0013)
Thomas E. Levy (Project Director: October 2010 to November 2012)

The development of a prototype of an open-source field recording tool named ArchField, which will be tested at sites in Jordan and Israel.

This project will develop and test a real-time 3D data recording interface for on-the-field archaeological excavations that will be applicable to different time periods, contexts and recording nomenclature. In 2010, this open-source, OS independent, web-based GIS application called ArchField was developed for excavations in Jordan. It is now imperative to begin the second stage of streamlining the software to make it easily adapted to different archaeological projects. The proposed application is an open GIS that can communicate with different spatially oriented user interfaces (e.g. Google Earth) for visualization and analysis. This system is built by archaeologists for archaeological excavation and digital conservation. Its ability includes association of all field data with 3D coordinates and auto-generation of for daily top plans in real-time. The end goal is to provide an easily available and user-friendly digital archaeological system to facilitate the dissemination online of advanced digital recording and mapping techniques to a broad audience.

Associated Products

Real-time 3D Archaeological Field Recording: Development of an interoperable open-source GIS data entry system: Prototype development of an open-source digital field-recording tool - ArchField, field-tested at sites in Jordan. (Web Resource)
Title: Real-time 3D Archaeological Field Recording: Development of an interoperable open-source GIS data entry system: Prototype development of an open-source digital field-recording tool - ArchField, field-tested at sites in Jordan.
Author: Thomas E. Levy
Author: Neil G. Smith
Abstract: Project developed and field-tested a real-time 3D data-recording interface called ArchField for real time archaeological excavations. Software is streamlined and easily adaptable to all archaeological projects spanning different time periods, contexts, and recording nomenclature. All field data linked with 3D coordinates, auto-generation of daily top plans in real-time. Includes direct communication with Total Stations and/or several GPS units to acquire and store real-world coordinates, automated creation of Structure-from-Motion (SFM) 3D architecture models from DSLR cameras, automated integration of SFM and LIDAR Scans in CalVR, user-friendly GUI interface to rapidly streamline recording of archaeological data in the field; server based storage using PostGIS on PostgreSQL (CouchDB for iOS), real-time recording and conversion of data to multiple output formats and projections, rapid conversion tools for export and import of data into different formats, synchronization across multiple database servers, dynamic labeling and symbolization of daily recorded artifacts/loci, and auto-generation of labels, barcodes, and QRcodes.
Year: 2012
Primary URL: http://adaa.ucsd.edu/ArchField

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