Mural Defects Detection with Enhanced Terahertz Images

In mausoleum murals, existing bubbles are one kind of the most harmful defects for the repair and protection of relics. For this reason, it is necessary to detect bubbles, especially the ones with small size. A method to detect the small bubbles with enhanced terahertz (THz) images is proposed. To simulate the bubbles in the mausoleum murals, circular grooves have been hidden in the plaster and then measured by the THz reflected time domain spectroscopy imaging system. To observe the small bubbles in murals, a comprehensive enhancement algorithm is adopted to process the obtained THz images. With the enhanced method, the circular grooves in the murals can be observed clearly, even for the circular groove with a diameter of 1.5 mm. The results indicate that the proposed comprehensive method can be used to detect the tiny defects of murals.