What Is Algorithmic Rendering?

Algorithmic Rendering (AR) is a key technology in our work at CHI, and it is fundamental to this project. For a brief definition of AR and how it relates to the other tools we use at CHI, see our Technologies Overview. To learn about AR in more depth, see the AR section of this web site.

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Automated Documentation and Illustration of Material Culture through the Collaborative Algorithmic Rendering Engine (CARE)

Algorithmic Rendering styles, based on same RTI data

Sample of rendering styles from Algortihmic Rendering, applied to the same RTI data set.
Graphic courtesy of Szymon Rusinkiewicz and Corey Toler-Franklin, Princeton University.

This project was funded in October 2010.

The National Science Foundation’s Cyber-enabled Discover and Innovation (CDI-Type1) program has awarded a grant of $550,000 to Cultural Heritage Imaging (CHI) in partnership with Dr. Szymon Rusinkiewicz of Princeton University’s Department of Computer Science.

The goal of this project is to research and develop novel approaches for combining information from collections of photographs of an object. The grant enables the Princeton-CHI team to create an open-source software tool, the Collaborative Algorithmic Rendering Engine (CARE) that will use Algorithmic Rendering to yield accurate rendered drawings from the same photographic data sets that are used in Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). By focusing on minimal user effort, cross-site collaborative visualization design, and integrated archiving and process history (provenance) tracking, the CARE tool is specifically designed to remove existing obstacles to widespread adoption of digital tools for visual analysis and communication.

CHI is extremely pleased to be working with Dr. Rusinkiewicz and the Princeton team to further the development of RTI-related technologies.