Analysis of Two-Option Integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data for Historical Architecture Inventory

Abstract

The 3D reconstruction of historical and cultural heritage monuments is a procedure recommended by the UNESCO World Heritage Institution since 1985. It is crucial when conserving monuments and creating digital twins. Current 3D reconstruction techniques using digital images and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data are considered as cost-effective and efficient methods for the production of high-quality digital 3D models. In the presented study, laser scanning and close-range photogrammetry techniques and images taken by a low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) were applied to quickly and completely acquire the point cloud and texture of a historic church in Poland. The aim of this study was to evaluate two options for integrating TLS and UAV data, using ground control points (GCP) measured by two independent techniques: tachymetry and laser scanning. The study shows that the 3D model created based on ground control points acquired by the laser scanning technique has a mean square error RMSEXYZ = 2.5 cm on the check points. The result obtained is not much larger than the second variant of data integration, for which RMSEXYZ = 1.7 cm. Thus, the TLS method was positively evaluated as a GCP measurement technique for the integration of UAV and TLS data and the creation of cartometric 3D models of religious buildings.

Drones and Real-Time Kinematic Base Station Integration for Documenting Inaccessible Ruins: A Case Study Approach

“…The data from these surveys can then be merged using various methods. Various data integration methods can be found in the literature [18,21,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32], referring not only to the case of ruins but, in general, to complex buildings.…”

“…In general, regardless of the case study analysed, but still concerning integrated surveys of complex historical buildings, we can see that the most commonly used technologies are TLS and close-range photogrammetry (both from the ground and from drones), and through their integration, the creation of a topographic support network is widespread, measured with GNSS receivers [18,25,26] alone or in pairs with TS [16,[27][28][29][30][31][32]. This topographic network is then used to formalise a reference system (local or georeferenced) to which the surveys carried out with the various instruments can be locked, measuring Ground Control Points (GCP) and targets with it.…”

“…In taking a more specific look at the integration techniques employed, several examples of integration between UAV photogrammetry and TLS can be observed. For instance, the authors of [27] surveyed a church using TLS and close-range photogrammetry with images taken using a low-cost UAV; the integration was performed through two methods: measuring the GCP with a TS and retrieving them from a TLS survey. The results showed a slightly higher error when using TLS data.…”

Energy Efficiency in Agricultural Production—Experience from Land Consolidation in Poland and Finland

“…In environmental issues, there is often a need to use multi-source data, examples of which can be found in papers [15][16][17][18]. Data integration also occurs in the area of cultural heritage, examples of which can be found in papers [19,20]. The aforementioned LiDAR technology is also very often used in surveying for the acquisition of geometrical source data for cultural heritage [21,22].…”

Automation of monitoring construction works based on laser scanning from unmanned aerial vehicles

“…There are also developments on the joint use of laser scanning both from the Earth's surface by a human operator and with UAVs [22][23][24]. This improves the quality of the resulting model, but at the same time leads to a large amount of redundant information ("noise").…”