Pompeii is one of the most beautiful and historically rich archeological sites in the world. Scientists and researchers from all around the glober gather in Pompeii every week to study and analyze what that lost population left us. And to collect their notes and sketches they’re using iPads now; Apple thus decided to create a new webpage for scientists working in Pompeii with an iPad.
Available at apple.com/ipad/pompeii, the page contains information about what researchers do in Pompeii and the apps used to help them getting the job done:
In Pompeii — the longest continuously excavated archaeological site in the world — iPad is revolutionizing how scientists work in the field. Rather than recording notes and sketches on paper, researchers at the site use iPad and apps to capture invaluable historical data faster, more easily, and with far better accuracy.
For Dr. Steven Ellis, who directs the University of Cincinnati’s archaeological excavations at Pompeii, perhaps the most significant discovery at the site this year was iPad. Ellis credits the introduction of six iPad devices at Pompeii with helping his team solve one of the most difficult problems of archaeological fieldwork: how to efficiently and accurately record the complex information they encounter in the trenches.
The idea of using iPad to collect the massive data the project would generate came from Ellis’s University of Cincinnati colleague John Wallrodt, an expert on digital databases for archaeological projects. Wallrodt had looked unsuccessfully into using various tablet devices for field research, but when iPad was introduced in January 2010, he knew at once that it was right for their project. Says Wallrodt, “Perfectly portable, with no moving parts, a Multi-Touch screen, and a battery that lasts the whole workday, iPad was practically custom built for our needs.”
I suggest you go read the whole profile, and look at the complete photo gallery. A few notable apps such as iDraw and OmniGraffle are in there.
Again, someone didn’t get the memo about “iPad as a consumption-only” device.
