Special Equipment for
Panoramic Photography and VR Applications

Haltadefinizione is a company located in Italy, which specializes in high-resolution reproductions of historical heritage of world-class. As a technology partner CLAUSS therefor provides his best and latest developments in the field of robotics and automatic image recording for free.

Many, including some still unreleased projects were and are successfully realized by that within the shortest possible time.

Some of the already published are:

• "Scrovegni Chapel" in Padua (November 2010 - learn more here)
• "San Francesco" in Assisi (2009)
• "Palazzo Besta" in Teglio

• "Das letzte Abendmahl" in Milano (2009)

After the devastating earthquake of 1997, which haunted one of the seven highest-ranking chapels (Basilica Maior) of the Catholic Church, the Basilica of "San Francesco" in Assisi, and impaired it heavily, the fresco cycle by Giotto di Bondone has been extensively reconstructed among others. These frescoes are considered to be one of the most valuable art treasures, and were now been high resolution digitally scanned for posterity and faithful reproduction for public audience.

(Historical Background...) 

The frescoes have been scanned with the special designed RODEON VR Head GT, which offers the opportunity to move two studio flash lamps (Elinchrom Digital S) with focusing optics (Elinchrom Zoom Spot 18 - 36°) along with the camera (Nikon D3x) with long focal length tele lens (Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600 mm 1:4D IF-ED II). The VR Head possesses a gimballed mount, which has been designed this much ample (122 cm x 80 cm), that the whole inner frame including all the photographic equipment is able to rotate through. As gears the approved models from the RODEON VR Head HD with 72'000 steps and electromagnetic brake have been used.

This special constructionm, which allows it to move the light along with the camera, stands out by its proven low light impact on these art treasures.

The project started at the beginning of 2007, as a result of the meeting between the Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities - Milan Landscape and Architectural Assets Office, De Agostini and HAL9000, a worldwide leader in the high-definition photography sector.

The photograph of "The Last Supper", one of the most delicate and protected works in the world, is the result of many months of work and research, during which specific lighting and photography techniques were developed. The protection of the painting was, right from the start, the main concern of the HAL9000 technicians and the Architectural Assets Office; the photography system was subject to technical inspection at the Environmental Control and Physics Laboratory at the Central Restoration Institute in Rome, which decided the system was totally suitable in accordance with current standards for the safeguarding of artistic works.

The project was made possible thanks to the assistance of various partners: AMD, an American multinational which provided the high-tech processing technology; CLAUSS, a German company which provided the high-precision orientation structure, De Agostini, who provided web and communication support; I-Net, who provided high-speed Internet access, and Nikon, for high-tech state-of-the-art photographic equipment. 

CLAUSS Rodeon VR Head is the panoramic head that has made it possible to create an innovative, accurate and stable pointing system which allows the camera and the lighting device to work simultaneously. 

The Rodeon VR Head is a product which offers enormous flexibility by adapting expertly to any kind of panoramic shot, it allows complete and precise 360° orientation by the camera of the desired object or scene. The Rodeon VR Head provides geometrically correct installation for all camera types, both consumer and professio- nal.

The modularity of the system allows simple, rapid and efficient adaptability to any shooting condition, both indoor and outdoor. The system can be worked by remote control, both wireless or cable, to perform either automated or user interactive operations. Thanks to the continuous support from CLAUSS this system has allowed for the development of an extremely sophisticated pointing device which was expressly designed for the photographing of The Last Supper. 

One of the main features of the Rodeon VR Head system is the very high pointing resolution, only a 54 second arc, which allows full control of 24'000 different pointing positions on a single rotation of the camera, both horizontally and vertically. 

The modularity of the CLAUSS Rodeon Modular system is the key feature which facilitated the designing, in a brief time, of a custom built unit with the mechanical properties required for the shooting of The Last Supper. The possibility to take advantage of different communication interfaces made it easier to satisfy the system’s reliability requirements. Reliability was also increased by the motor units communicating with the main control unit through the dedicated bus system. 

The Rodeon Modular motor units are not only highly accurate in pointing, but are also very compact despite the considerable power drive which is capable of guaranteeing a 4 Nm torque for a fluid and precise motion even when operating a device weighting 20kg like the one used for the shooting of The Last Supper.

 Original Image Details:

• Title: The Last Supper

• Painter: Leonardo da Vinci

• Location: Milan, refectory of the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent

• Date: 1494 - 1498

• Size: 460 x 880 cm (181 x 346 in)

• Technique: Tempera with oils on white lead and calcium carbonate

Acquisition Details:

• Size: 16.118.035.591 pixel (172181 x 93611)

• Color depth: 48 bits (3 x 16)

• Number of shots: 1677 (â 4.288 x 2.848 pixel)

• Captured: 20.479.899.648 pixel

• Camera: Nikon D2Xs

• Lens: AF-S Nikkor 600mm f/4D IF-ED II

• Pointing Device: Customized CLAUSS Rodeon VR Head

• Software: Nikon Camera Control Pro

Postprocessing Details:

• Software: Nikon Capture NX (per Image real-time verification)

• CPU: 2 Quad-Core AMD Opteron Processors

• RAM: 16 Gigabyte

• HDD Space: 2 Terabyte