© 2008 R. Schneider 1
Focus Projects for Student
Involvement in Researching the
Scientific Properties of the
Shroud of Turin
by
Ray Schneider
Assistant Professor
Math and Computer Science
Bridgewater College, VA
© 2008 R. Schneider 2
Involving the Future Generation
• Each Generation Has A Responsibility to
Inspire the Next
• Failing that a Discipline Ends until a New
Pioneer takes it up again
• This Is a summary account of a project to
develop Focus Projects to involve student
researchers in the Shroud Adventure
© 2008 R. Schneider 3
Focus Projects
• A Focus Project is Vision Centered
• It is on-going, forming part of a larger
reality
• Each Contribution to a Focus Project
advances towards the goals
• Here the Goal is Understanding the
Shroud of Turin
http://www.bridgewater.edu/~rschneid/FocusProjects/focus_projects.htm
© 2008 R. Schneider 4
Building
Understanding• One Brick at a Time
• Requires
– Tools
– Knowledge
– Work
© 2008 R. Schneider 5
Toolswe restrict our attention to image analysis
• Materials: ex. Detailed Images
• Analysis and Programming Tools (ex.
Imaging), examples:
– CVIPtools
– ImageJ
– GIMP
– PIL
– MatLab
– Photoshop
– and many other tools are readily available
The DVD
Shroud Science Kit
© 2008 R. Schneider 6
Work = Suggested Projects
• The following eleven projects are illustrative. Each is briefly presented with a
– TITLE
– BRIEF SYNOPSIS
– SUMMARY GOALS
• Some projects can be divided into sub-projects because they are large and complex
© 2008 R. Schneider 7
1. Universal Coordinate System
• Used to allow the transfer of coordinates
from one image of the shroud to another
– input: universal coordinates, and image
– output: specific coordinates in the image
– There are issues of precision since the shroud
is a flexible object and will vary from showing
to showing
– ex. See examples of different images at
http://www.bridgewater.edu/~rschneid/
FocusProjects/Shroud/ShroudMeasure/shroudCal.html
© 2008 R. Schneider 8
1. Universal Coordinate SystemTake a coordinate
set from one image
and translate it to
another by going
through a universal
intermediate.
Universal
Transformation
Durante 2000
Schwortz 1978
© 2008 R. Schneider 9
2. Color Normalization
• Transformation of colors from one image of
the shroud to another to achieve maximum
uniformity
– study of transformation between color systems
– modifying images to achieve uniformity of
illumination
– form comparison matching colors, illumination,
contrast, etc. as closely as possible
© 2008 R. Schneider 10
3. Color Segmentation• Create algorithms for dividing the shroud
up analytically into blood, image, cloth,
water stain, dirt, bands, etc. regions
– classification may depend on color, texture,
luminance, and combinations of attributes
– ideally such classification should work on
multiple images after (2.) Color Normalization.
© 2008 R. Schneider 11
• Reflected and
transmitted light
• Reveal density
differences and
reflectance
differences in
the cloth of the
shroud
4. Banding Studies
© 2008 R. Schneider 12
5. Study of Blood Markings
• Distinguish features of
wounds and the
manner of their
infliction
© 2008 R. Schneider 13
6. Development of Shroud Feature
Classification Spaces
• Features Can Be
Based on
– Point Measures
– Area Analyses
– Combinations of
heterogeneous metrics
• Typically Features
would be collected in a
Database for retrieval
© 2008 R. Schneider 14
7. Taxonomy / Data Space of Shroud
Images and Co-functional Viewer
• Highly Interactive Database on the Shroud
over the Internet serving dynamic
information and analyses.
database
documents
images
server
© 2008 R. Schneider 15
8. Weave Rider
1. Extract the Weave
Elements
2. Analyze each
“brick”
3. Classify each
“brick”
4. Develop Statistics
and feature sets
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1435443261/bctid1435496345
© 2008 R. Schneider 16
9. Blood Flow Analysis
• Develop analytical models for both blood characteristics and evolution of blood flow
• Source of blood
• Time sequencing of blood flow
© 2008 R. Schneider 17
• The question is whether
the three dimensional
information in the shroud
image (see VP-8 and
John German’s* transfer
function image) can be
significantly improved by
signal processing
10. Three Dimensional Information
Analysis with Noise Suppression
* An Electronic Technique for Constructing An
Accurate Three-Dimensional Shroud Image by
John D. German, Jr. (1977 United States Conference
on Research on the Shroud of Turin March 23-24
Albuquerque, New Mexico
© 2008 R. Schneider 18
11. Replication
• Science Depends for its results on
replication. Much previous work on the
shroud ought to be replicated.
– Establishes Results on a Firmer Footing
– Ensures that Things possibly overlooked by
prior investigators have another chance to be
discovered and elucidated.
• Ex. Study of fold marks, water stain study,
Prey holes
© 2008 R. Schneider 19
The Shroud of Turin
Focus Project Kit
• Probably in Two Versions
– The Intermediate Version (low cost)*• Software
• Sample Data (intermediate resolution)
• Project Definitions
– The Advanced Version• Follow-On based on serious research intent
• Comprehensive Data under license (high resolution)
• Provided based on Research Proposals
* any cost will be only to recover expenses
The DVD
Shroud Science Kit
Doesn’t Exist Yet
© 2008 R. Schneider 20
• Understand All the
Characteristics of the
Shroud of Turin to the
Extent Possible
The Final ObjectiveThe Shroud Science Group