The Case Study of Using Photogrammetric Systems and Laser Scanning for Three-Dimensional Modeling of Cultural Heritage Sites

Abstract

Advancements in digitizing technologies in recent years have enabled the creation of precise three-dimensional models using specialized equipment such as terrestrial laser scanners. Unfortunately, working with a device placed on the ground surface makes it impossible to directly measure roof structures, building vertices and hard-to-reach areas. However, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with high-resolution cameras and a precise control system that allows maneuvers in the aforementioned places have a chance in this field. This article presents the complete process of digital 3D modeling of the town hall building in Zamość, using a combination of photogrammetry and laser scanning, along with geodetic measurement techniques. The study covers the planning stage, the field stage, and ends with accuracy analyses. Finally, the potential applications of the aforementioned object are discussed. The research identified several challenges during the project, including the need for meticulous planning to ensure optimal data acquisition, dealing with limitations of equipment mobility, and addressing data quality issues such as image blurriness and exposure variations. However, through careful calibration, data filtering, and quality assessment, these challenges were successfully mitigated. The study demonstrated the potential of advanced geodetic techniques in accurately digitizing complex architectural structures with rich historical significance. The detailed 3D model of the Zamość town hall serves as a valuable resource for further research, preservation efforts, and heritage documentation.

Three-Dimensional Digitization of Documentation and Perpetual Preservation of Cultural Heritage Buildings at Risk of Liquidation and Loss—The Methodology and Case Study of St Adalbert’s Church in Chicago

“…The author in [2] points out that obtaining digital 3D models allows for wear measurements of the external structure of the object and analysis of its surfaces and their colors. This applies to both small museum objects [3][4][5][6][7], sculptures and statues [8][9][10], as well as large architectural objects [11][12][13][14][15][16] or archaeological sites [17][18][19][20][21][22]. Data acquisition activities in 3D technology are carried out by various scientific and research communities representing many research centers in Europe (Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Portugal, but also recently in Poland and Romania) and across the world: China, the USA, Australia, Japan and recently also Egypt, Iran and Uzbekistan [23].…”

“…Among the works on the digitization of architectural objects, most of them concern 3D scanning of the external structure [11,[13][14][15][16], and only some refer to the interior [1,35,36].…”

“…Only in [42] did the authors, after 6 days of data acquisition with both technologies, integrate them to obtain digital 3D mesh models of both the architectural object and the details of its interior design. However, the obtained interior details were of quite low quality, and the calculations performed on available equipment took about 120 h. In [15], the authors used TLS and TSRP technology and short-range airborne photogrammetry (SRAP) by using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to obtain a 3D model of the Darvas-La Roche House (Oradea, Romania). They integrated the acquired data into one digital 3D model, obtaining a good quality model.…”