Deciphering Hidden Text in Historical Manuscripts: Multispectral vs. Hyperspectral Imaging​

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Whether by intentional erasure or weathering from the elements, some historical texts are damaged beyond recognition... or so we thought. The Rochester Cultural Heritage Imaging, Visualization, and Education (R-CHIVE) research group at RIT analyzes data from multispectral and hyperspectral images to reveal text that is otherwise invisible to the naked eye. This research compares hyperspectral (HSI) and multispectral imaging (MSI) using language that is accessible to non-scientists. In particular, we distinguish the merits of HSI vs MSI and the contexts in which each is useful.