A Shape-Adjusted Tridimensional Reconstruction of Cultural Heritage Artifacts Using a Miniature Quadrotor

Abstract

Abstract:The innovative automated 3D modeling procedure presented here was used to reconstruct a Cultural Heritage (CH) object by means of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Using a motion capture system, a small low-cost quadrotor equipped with a miniature low-resolution Raspberry Pi camera module was accurately controlled in the closed loop mode and made to follow a trajectory around the artifact. A two-stage process ensured the accuracy of the 3D reconstruction process. The images taken during the first circular trajectory were used to draw the artifact's shape. The second trajectory was smartly and autonomously adjusted to match the artifact's shape, then it provides new pictures taken close to the artifact and, thus, greatly improves the final 3D reconstruction in terms of the completeness, accuracy and quickness, in particular where the artifact's shape is complex. The results obtained here using close-range photogrammetric methods show that the process of automated 3D model reconstruction based on a robotized quadrotor using a motion capture system is a realistic approach, which could provide a suitable new digital conservation tool in the cultural heritage field.

Mini-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Remote Sensing: Techniques, applications, and prospects

“…Remote sensing data with ultra-high spatial resolution (e.g. centimeter-level) plays significant roles in some fine-scale remote sensing applications, such as railway monitoring, dam/bridge crack detection, reconstruction and restoration of cultural heritage [9]. Besides, numerous studies have reported that images with centimeter-level spatial resolution (up to 5 cm or more) hold the potential for studying spatio-temporal dynamics of individual organisms [10], mapping fine-scale vegetation species and their spatial patterns [11], estimating landscape metrics for ecosystem [12], monitoring small changes of coasts by erosion [13], etc.…”

Low-cost 3D reconstruction of cultural heritage artifacts

“…Despite photogrammetry being an old discipline, used for purposes other than 3D reconstruction, some studies (Covas et al;Louiset et al;2016;Utomo and Wibowo;2017) that fall under this category present interesting advances. For example, Covas et al (Covas et al; used sh-eye images to reconstruct hard-to-reach parts of two medieval castles in Portugal.…”

“…Conversely, Louiset et al (Louiset et al;2016) devised a reconstruction method using a miniature unmanned aerial autonomously ying in close proximity of the reconstructed object. In this approach, the vehicle ies twice around the object once in a circular trajectory and a second time with a trajectory that approximates the shape of the object, with the results of the second ight being used to improve the realism of the initial reconstruction.…”

Taking Inspiration from Flying Insects to Navigate inside Buildings

“…Recently, a lightweight sensor composed of four stereo heads and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) were developed to perform FPGA-based dense reconstruction for obstacle detection in all directions at 7 Hz output refresh rate [136]. In another application, a drone of a mass less than 500 g was developed for photogrammetric 3D reconstruction applied to a cultural heritage object [137] but requiring a motion capture system to determine accurately their pose of the robot at a frequency of 500 Hz. Better understanding how flying insects work will therefore help future drones to operate inside buildings where obstacles are very close.…”