{"id":20729,"date":"2023-10-10T15:39:17","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T13:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niku.no\/?p=20729"},"modified":"2023-10-11T09:47:49","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T07:47:49","slug":"innovative-technology-robot-to-find-norways-hidden-cultural-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niku.no\/en\/2023\/10\/innovative-technology-robot-to-find-norways-hidden-cultural-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative Technology: Robot to Find Norway’s Hidden Cultural Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Innovative Technology: Robot to Find Norway’s Hidden Cultural Heritage<\/h1>\r\n\t\t
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Archaeology<\/a> —<\/span> Digital archaeology<\/a> —<\/span> Digital arkeologi<\/a> —<\/span> Geofysiske unders\u00f8kelser<\/a> —<\/span> geophysical research<\/a> —<\/span> News<\/a> —<\/span> Nyheter<\/a> —<\/span> Research<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t
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The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and AutoAgri are launching a revolutionary self-driving ground penetrating radar (GPR) for archaeological survey. The technology promises increased efficiency, climate friendly solutions, and accurate mapping of hitherto undiscovered cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t

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First of its kind<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\t
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AutoAgri<\/strong> is a Norwegian technology company, that develops and manufactures autonomous and electric implement carriers for agriculture, parkland, and survey.<\/p>\n

Guideline Geo\/ MAL\u00c5<\/strong>, based in Sweden, is a leading technology company with a focus on geophysical measurement equipment and is a supplier of georadar technology.<\/p>\n

NIKU<\/strong> is an independent research and expertise environment for Norwegian and international cultural heritage. NIKU works with the development and use of high-tech solutions in connection with archaeological mapping.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n

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AutoAgri<\/a> is an innovative technology company from Trondheim that develops autonomous vehicles for use in agriculture, park management and surveying. The newly developed GPR robot is the first of its kind and represents a significant technological development in archaeological prospection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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This ground-breaking system combines AutoAgri’s autonomous vehicle with the latest version of Guideline Geo\/ MAL\u00c5’<\/a>s multi-channel GPR system. The project’s main goal is to integrate these two components mechanically, electronically, and using specially developed software from NIKU and AutoAgri.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2013 We are proud of the close and fruitful collaboration we have with both AutoAgri and Guideline Geo\/ MAL\u00c5. This is a great example of how interdisciplinary collaboration can produce innovative technology that serves society by preserving our common cultural heritage, says Erich Nau<\/a>, NIKU’s project manager for the development of the new system.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Tested at locations along the Trondheimsfjord<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Project manager <\/span>Erich Nau is leading the developments of the new system. Photo: NIKU.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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A prototype of the system was completed in 2021, and now the fully developed system is in use.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The first operation with the self-driving GPR takes place at Auran and Vinnan, two farms in Stj\u00f8rdal municipality, in collaboration with the NTNU University Museum<\/a>, and archaeologists from Tr\u00f8ndelag county authority.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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The survey is part of the project “Farmers on Land, Vikings at Sea<\/a>,” which aims to explore the Late Iron Age and the Viking Age to better understand Norway’s history.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Based on older archaeological and antiquarian finds in Nordm\u00f8re and Tr\u00f8ndelag, the archaeologists want to carry out new studies of the Late Iron Age and the Viking Age towards Norway\u2019s national anniversary in 2030.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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At the farm Vinnan in Stj\u00f8rdal<\/span> the archaeologists made fantastic discoveries with driver-controlled GPR last year. Now the robot continues on its own, looking for more hidden cultural heritage. Photo: Manuel Gabler, NIKU.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\t
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“Farmers on land – Vikings at sea. Tr\u00f8ndelag until 1030”<\/strong>\u00a0 is a collaborative project between NTNU\/Vitenskapsmuseet, Stiklestad National Cultural Center (SNK), Tr\u00f8ndelag County Council and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) <\/span><\/p>\n

The project sheds light on the extensive upheavals that took place in society in the latter part of the Iron Age (Merovingian and Viking) and the early Middle Ages. Central are processes related to the formation of the state, the change of religion and the national assembly in the period leading up to the battle at Stiklestad in 1030<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n

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Already last year, NIKU made new and particularly exciting discoveries <\/a>with georadar on the farm Vinne in Verdal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Now the archaeologists want to see what else can be hidden underground at Auran and Vinnan farms in Stj\u00f8rdal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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They hope the findings can help to shed light on the formation of the state, the unifying of Norway, and the change of religion in Norway a thousand years ago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2013 Many wonderful finds have previously been made here using metal detectors. Such findings often indicate structures under the topsoil. Perhaps the new vehicle will reveal more ploughed-over graves, a trading post, or other traces of activity from the Viking Age? says Knut Paasche<\/a>, head of the Digital Archeology department at NIKU.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Efficiency and precision<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The new GPR that is now being tested seems very promising. The autonomous system performs the data collection alone and without a driver. But the archaeologist still has a crucial role; instead of sitting in a tractor for many hours first and interpreting the data afterward, the archaeologist can now work continuously with the data in real time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2013 Automatic transfer of data to a PC means that we can already start processing and interpreting the data in the field, says Knut Paasche.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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