Acquisition and processing experiences of close range UAV images for the 3D modeling of heritage buildings

Abstract

The use of image-based techniques to document heritage sites has seen a resurgence in recent years with advancements in optical sensors as well as computing power. The rise of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) also complements this technique, by providing the advantage of aerial view over traditional terrestrial image acquisition. Recently UAVs began to become more and more specialized towards specific tasks, 3D modeling and reconstruction being some of them. In this study the use of state of the art UAV dedicated for close range inspection is analysed. Several case studies were performed on historical buildings in Strasbourg, France. Processing was done by utilizing both commercial and open source photogrammetry and SfM (Structure from Motion) solutions. Both the quality of the aerotriangulation and the dense matching were studied. The final objective of this project is to adapt existing terrestrial image acquisition and processing protocols for use by UAVs.