A Low-Cost Reflectance Transformation Imaging Dome

Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) has many uses in imaging heritage items such as coins, seals, and small archaeological artefacts. Hand (highlight) RTI is time-consuming, and domes are the preferred solution. Unfortunately, commercial domes cost in the range of €10.000–30.000, out of reach for teaching purposes. The SimpleRTIDome project is putting together a functional dome which will require no soldering, combining 3D printed parts with readily available single-board computer (SBC) boards, designed to be assembled by individuals with no particular "Maker" skills. The target cost in materials for the final dome, including built-in camera, is €200. I have built a working prototype at this price point which will be refined between now and the conference. A full parts list and (simple) instructions will be released via GitHub and the Uni Graz. The same basic controller setup supports a larger and more capable research dome, targeted in the €600–800 range.