3D Laser Scanning for Site Monitoring and Conservation in Lalibela World Heritage Site, Ethiopia

Abstract

World Monuments Fund and UNESCO are collaborating in a project for the conservation and management of the living heritage site of Lalibela, in the Lasta mountains in Ethiopia. The site is still in use today and it is characterized by a series of deep trenches where churches have been carved out from the bedrock in the XII-XIII centuries. One of the first steps in the conservation initiative was the complete re-examination of the graphic documentation available. The pioneering work of architect Sandro Angelini in providing a complete map of the entire site served as a basis for a new complete survey of the site using laser scanners, photogrammetry, GPS and conventional survey methods. This approach was selected for the possibility to recreate 3D digital models of each structure and feature, to provide the conservators with baseline information for subsequent detailed assessments of the state of conservation of these elements, and, eventually, to use the digital data for education and presentation purposes. The paper describes the challenges met in the execution of one of the largest laser scanning project ever conducted in a cultural heritage site.

Virtual Reality: Towards Preserving Alexandria Heritage by Raising the Awareness of the Locals

“…To achieve a successful visualization of the heritage site or building, two priorities should intersect: the validity of information and the accuracy of representation (Gaitatzes, 2001). Most virtual heritage projects start with examining the previously completed graphical representations of the site and then using GPS, laser scanners, photogrammetry and conventional survey methods to complete the entire mapping of the location (Rüther, 2012). The virtual reality project aims to change the user from being only a viewer of a scene to interacting with the site in a way that drives them to feel that they are located at the time and place of the virtualized scene.…”

“…This lead the team to choose more readily available VR equipment with less cost to be able to represent different projects to the visitors (Rüther, 2012). In other cases, specialists were needed in the 3D scanning of the virtual heritage projects such as architects and conservators to check all the architectural details.…”

“…In other cases, challenges occur against the timeline the team should meet to finish the project, especially if an international institute funds this project. These problems are highly present in the ability of the 3D laser equipment to capture a huge site in a high-quality virtual heritage environment project, and the permissions to photograph such important historical sites may also form a challenge (Rüther, 2012).…”

Laser scanning for the documentation and management of heritage sites within the Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

“…A list of some recent relevant projects includes the monitoring and conservation of important heritage sites (R€ uther 2002;R€ uther et al 2009;R€ uther & Palumbo 2012), the documentation of major architectural structures (Paletti et al 2014) and the integration of digital imagery with TLS data and GIS (W€ ust, Nebiker & Landolt 2004;Al-Ruzouq et al 2010;Wernke, Adams & Hooten 2014). In the Persian Gulf States and the UAE, the application of TLS for research purposes is limited to the scan of the Al-Hayla Tower in the Liwa Oasis, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi (Marcus 2012) and 3D modelling of Al Bastakiya in Dubai (Hadjri 2003).…”