1. The Context
In 79 AD, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the Herculaneum library, carbonizing hundreds of papyrus scrolls. For centuries, they were unreadable; opening them would turn them to dust. In 2023, the Vesuvius Challenge changed history. By combining high-resolution CT scans with advanced Computer Vision and Machine Learning, a global community of researchers successfully virtually unwrapped and read parts of these scrolls for the first time.
2. The Problem
While the challenge produced winning results, it also produced “Competition Code.” Competition code is written to win, not to be read. It is often highly optimized and experimental but lacks documentation, theoretical explanations, and clean structure. Crucially, there are no academic papers accompanying these repositories. We have the solution, but we are missing the explanation of the methodology and the mathematical foundations.
3. Your Task
Your goal is to bridge the gap between raw code and a reproducible scientific baseline. You will select a specific component of the challenge (e.g., Segmentation, Ink Detection, Flattening), dissect the code, and transform it into a well-understood, documented research tool. You are not just running scripts; you are performing digital archaeology on the software itself.
4. Organization & Logistics
This is a specialized Computer Vision seminar designed for students who want to deep-dive into applied machine learning and software reverse-engineering.
- Format & Timeline: This is a Block Seminar taking place between February and May.
- ECTS Credits: We offer both 5 ECTS and 10 ECTS versions of this seminar depending on the depth of the project and your study requirements.
- Target Audience: We welcome students from the following study courses:
- Computer Science
- Artificial Intelligence
- Medical Engineering
5. How to Apply
To apply for this seminar, please send an email to linda-sophie.schneider@fau.de and thomas.gorges@fau.de with the following:
- Your Transcript of Records.
- A short motivation statement (3–4 sentences) explaining why you want to work on this specific topic.
- ECTS Preference: Please explicitly state whether you require the 5 ECTS or 10 ECTS version for your studies.
Important: We value brevity, so please keep your email short. Be aware that very long mails might be ignored.