Computer vision and architectural history at eye level: Mixed methods for linking research in the humanities and in information technology (ArchiMediaL)

Tino Mager*, Seyran Khademi, Ronald Siebes, Jan van Gemert, Victor de Boer, Beate Löffler, Carola Hein

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book / Report / Conference proceedingChapterAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Information on the history of architecture is embedded in our daily surroundings, in vernacular and heritage buildings and in physical objects, photographs and plans. Historians study these tangible and intangible artefacts and the communities that built and used them. Thus valuable insights are gained into the past and the present as they also provide a foundation for designing the future. Given that our understanding of the past is limited by the inadequate availability of data, the article demonstrates that advanced computer tools can help gain more and well-linked data from the past. Computer vision can make a decisive contribution to the identification of image content in historical photographs. This application is particularly interesting for architectural history, where visual sources play an essential role in understanding the built environment of the past, yet lack of reliable metadata often hinders the use of materials. The automated recognition contributes to making a variety of image sources usable for research.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMixing Methods
Subtitle of host publicationPractical Insights from the Humanities in the Digital Age
EditorsBirgit Schneider, Beate Löffler, Tino Mager, Carola Hein
PublisherUniversity of Bielefeld
Pages125-146
Number of pages22
ISBN (Electronic)9783839469132
ISBN (Print)9783837669138
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Publication series

NameDigital humanities research
PublisherBielefeld University Press
Volume7

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Birgit Schneider, Beate Löffler, Tino Mager, Carola Hein (eds.). All rights reserved.

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