11/2 Out of the Lab: Terahertz imaging applications at Stonehenge

TeraView, the pioneer and leader in terahertz technology and solutions, is pleased to announce the publication of a paper at the Infrared and MMwave Conference and Terahertz (IRMMW-2022 -THz) in Delft (28th August – 2nd September 2022). The paper focusses on using TeraView’s TeraPulse Lx instrument to study rock carvings on the world famous Stonehenge monument. The paper is a joint collaboration with the University of Brighton, UK, and was produced in collaboration with English Heritage.

David Giovannacci, Historical Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH), France, commented “In 2021 Gavin Leong, PhD student from the University of Brighton contacted me to have some inputs about the use of non-destructive tools on Cultural Heritage, and more particularly – of THz systems. Indeed, I am a conservation scientist focused on non-destructive tools working for the French Ministry of Culture for over 15 years now. Gavin’s question was: can we read the engraving under the lichen on the stone of Stonehenge? We immediately thought of Teraview, in Cambridge, UK, and their system – the TeraPulse Lx. This system has the advantages of being fully portable, easy to use and allowing mapping of the object all the way from the surface to the inner layer. The scientific investigation using the TeraPulse Lx took place on 15th September 2021, and the results appear to be extremely promising”

Gavin Leong, PhD Student at Brighton University, UK, commented “Dr Phil Taday from TeraView was very kind to lend me his time and expertise in operating the TeraPulse Lx. Used in combination with the PolyScan head and gantry, I could begin to reveal the stone surfaces at Stonehenge that were densely covered by lichen. Our aim was to understand whether prehistoric art or stone shaping features lay hidden beneath the lichen. So with the rare opportunity afforded to us while Stonehenge was undergoing conservation work, Heather Sebire, English Heritage’s senior curator for Stonehenge allowed us to take the TeraPulse Lx into the stone circle for our imaging project. To my understanding, this is the first application of terahertz imaging on lichen”

Dr. Phil Taday, Head of Applications at TeraView, commented “The application of taking a terahertz system to Stonehenge is quite challenging, it’s something we thought we wouldn’t have been able to do 20 years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to take such an instrument outside of the laboratory. What we have managed to do with Gavin is to take our TeraPulse Lx system to Stonehenge and use it to acquire depth information in-the-field”

Below is a short film made by TeraView detailing the project:

10/31 筑波醫電攜手藝術家做公益

筑波醫電董事長許深福將觸角延伸至藝術人文，公司大廳變身藝廊，成為訪客和同仁的心靈療癒空間。

位於竹北生醫園區的筑波醫電，將公司一樓大廳規劃為筑波藝廊，並在每年最後一季檔期攜手展出藝術家做公益，每賣出一幅畫作的百分之十捐給弱勢團體。

筑波醫電表示，即日起至十一月十五日推出「台灣隱藏畫家鍾文熙」個展。鍾文熙旅美四十五年，曾為憂鬱症所苦，甚至一度放棄繪畫三十年，後來受到鼓勵重拾畫筆，對生活環境變化跟一切遭遇都充滿感恩。此次展出作品橫跨兒時族群記憶、美國生活及國外旅遊，以寫實手法讓觀者如同偽出國般遊歷。

董事長許深福二十六日在接待外國訪客時，首站即以藝術總監身分為來賓導覽解說；接著才進到公司內部說明筑波醫電係以開拓台灣本土精密無創，微創醫療設備能量且推廣於國際，建立台灣從３Ｃ到三醫（醫才、醫技、醫材）的產業鏈平台數位轉型與人才培育，提升數位力。

筑波藝廊負責人由從歷史博物館退休的曾曾旂擔任。他說，筑波藝廊希望扶植年輕一輩畫家，此藝廊免租金，且有許多外國訪客到訪，是很好行銷自己至國際舞台的機會。

許深福說，《筑》是古代之擊絃樂器，形狀似箏，音質清亮且優美；《波》是彼此心靈所激盪出來的律動，願科技與人文藝術的融合，讓社會每一個角落都能創造出更多采多姿的共鳴。