A portable and autonomous system for the diagnosis of the structural health of cultural heritage (PICUS)

An innovative system has been developed, named PICUS (the ‘woodpecker’ in Latin), and inspired by the auscultation method carried out by the experts in the field of conservation of cultural heritage. This device tapping the surface, controlling, acquiring and measuring some relevant parameters. In a nutshell, it performs an analysis similar to that carried out by a professional who performs a routine examination on the detachments by hand. The experimental apparatus consists of a probe made of an electromechanical percussion element that gently taps the surface producing a sound, an accelerometer to measure the impact force, and a microphone, all connected with an Arduino-like low-cost board, to record and elaborate sounds and the force sensor signal. The probe XY position on the scene is recognized using a low-cost IR camera positioned in the probe and an IR source opportunely positioned outside.