Centrica

Established in 1999, Centrica is an Italian company skilled in hi-res digital imaging, interactive applications and knowledge management. Our solution are suitable for various sectors, such as cultural heritage and tourism, fashion and luxury goods, media.

The added value of our Centrica Platform is given by two integrated innovative technologies that allow to interact with high-resolution images (XLimage®) and to organize the knowledge around these images according to onthological models (XLknowledge®) in any device (web, tablet&smartphone, touch screen).

XLimage® is a server to operate images on Internet, which ensures high chromatic fidelity and enables zooming functionalities, watermarking for the protection of rights, color management for the best visualization on the end user device. With XLimage®, images of any resolution become interactive thanks to the extensive magnification capabilities of its technology, which makes visible details, usually viewless to the naked eye, well visible.

XLknowledge® technology organizes knowledge and creates “thematic paths” within a collection of images (or other media). The representation of specific details and the processing of knowledge are based on ontological models.

The advanced interaction between high-res images and “sensitive areas” identified within each image (hot spots) is one of the relevant features of this innovative system. Hot spots are conceptually connected each other according to onthological models. In the case of a collection of artworks, for example, the system allows the browser to examine in depth the details and common elements of the images such as jewels, landscapes and furniture. As an example please refer to Uffizi Touch® Cloud video: https://vimeo.com/188054233.

Uffizi Touch® Cloud is the product which better expresses the combination of these features in the field of cultural heritage: an interactive application designed using artworks of the Uffizi Gallery of Florence. It was successfully presented for the first time at Shanghai EXPO in 2010.