Structure from Motion for Systematic Single Surface Documentation of Archaeological Excavations. (original) (raw)
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A comparative assessment of structure from motion methods for archaeological research
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014
ABSTRACT This paper addresses the use of open source, structure from motion methods for creating 3d pointclouds from photographs and compares these with alternative workflows in other software, and relative accuracy compared to other 3D modelling methods. It describes a series of case studies that use structure from motion to record standing buildings and create digital elevation models. Looking at other recording techniques it finds that structure from motion can produce better results than traditional techniques such as plan drawing, topographic survey and photogrammetry, and is cheaper and more accessible than new techniques such as laser scanning and LiDAR, although it is less accurate in some regards. It demonstrates that good accuracy can be achieved if careful measurements are made, and concludes that it has great potential for widespread archaeological application.
Archeological 3D Mapping: The Structure from Motion Revolution
Index of Texas Archaeology Open Access Grey Literature from the Lone Star State, 2016
Mapping is a critical aspect of systematic documentation no matter where archaeologists work. From hand-drawn maps of excavation units to maps created with Total Data Stations or LiDAR scanning, today’s archaeologists have a suite of mapping techniques and technologies to choose from when documenting a site. Typically, spectacular sites often receive high resolution mapping, whereas everyday sites rarely do. Recently, however, a revolutionary technology and technique has been created that can produce highly accurate and precise three-dimensional maps and orthophotos of archaeological sites, features, and profiles at a fraction of the cost and time of LiDAR and intensive TDS mapping: Structure from Motion (SfM). SfM is a new digital photography processing technique for capturing highly detailed, three-dimensional (3D) data from almost any surface using digital cameras. This article introduces the various platforms SfM photographs can be collected from (UAV, kites, balloons, poles, an...
Virtual Archaeology – New Methods of Image-Based 3D Modeling
Natural Science in Archaeology, 2009
The latest developments in sensors and data processing technology have strongly influenced many disciplines and have led in many cases to completely novel ways how the respective work is conducted, with new possibilities for improved data acquisition, handling and analysis. Archaeology and Cultural Heritage are definitely among those fields that have drawn many advantages from this situation. Advanced 3D modeling of landscapes, sites, single architectures, statues, findings and artifacts have given the experts in the field and office new tools into their hands for better analysis and interpretation of processes, developments, and relations. This paper, after a brief review of the currently available sensor technology and an introduction into the photogrammetric data acquisition and processing procedures, will show how this technology works and what kind of products can be generated. We will touch upon the use of satellite, aerial and terrestrial images, but also address laserscanning and structured light systems. The use of different imaging sensors in the case of the recording of large sites will be shown presenting results from our Bamiyan, Afghanistan project. With our project Tucume, Peru we will demonstrate, how we can go back in time with image-based techniques. With different examples of terrestrial applications we indicate the wide variety of available sensors.
Proceedings of the XXIIIrd International CIPA Symposium, 2011
Stratigraphic archaeological excavations demand high-resolution documentation techniques for 3D recording. Today, this is typically accomplished using total stations or terrestrial laser scanners. This paper demonstrates the potential of another technique that is low-cost and easy to execute. It takes advantage of software using Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms, which are known for their ability to reconstruct camera pose and three-dimensional scene geometry (rendered as a sparse point cloud) from a series of overlapping photographs captured by a camera moving around the scene. When complemented by stereo matching algorithms, detailed 3D surface models can be built from such relatively oriented photo collections in a fully automated way. The absolute orientation of the model can be derived by the manual measurement of control points. The approach is extremely flexible and appropriate to deal with a wide variety of imagery, because this computer vision approach can also work with imagery resulting from a randomly moving camera (i.e. uncontrolled conditions) and calibrated optics are not a prerequisite. For a few years, these algorithms are embedded in several free and low-cost software packages. This paper will outline how such a program can be applied to map archaeological excavations in a very fast and uncomplicated way, using imagery shot with a standard compact digital camera (even if the images were not taken for this purpose). Archived data from previous excavations of VIAS-University of Vienna has been chosen and the derived digital surface models and orthophotos have been examined for their usefulness for archaeological applications. The absolute georeferencing of the resulting surface models was performed with the manual identification of fourteen control points. In order to express the positional accuracy of the generated 3D surface models, the NSSDA guidelines were applied. Simultaneously acquired terrestrial laser scanning data – which had been processed in our standard workflow – was used to independently check the results. The vertical accuracy of the surface models generated by SfM was found to be within 0.04 m at the 95 % confidence interval, whereas several visual assessments proved a very high horizontal positional accuracy as well.
The Use Of Panoramic Images For 3-D Archaeological Survey
2004
Panoramic images are efficiently used for documenting archaeological sites and objects. In our paper we present a new approach in developing the use of panoramic images for archaeological survey. The work is part of the Finnish Jabal Haroun Project, in Petra, Jordan. The primary motivation has been in developing a procedure for field invention, in which photogrammetric documentation could be used for 3-D measuring of structural remains of barrage systems and terrace walls. Panoramic stereo photography has been applied for wide area documentation, and detailed structures are documented with close up stereo images. Natural features are selected from photographic prints in order to be used as control points. They are identified in field and measured with tacheometer. In addition, archaeologists use prints as photogrammetric notebook when identifying and documenting barrage systems and terrace walls during their field invention. Photogrammetric post processing consists of orientation by bundle block adjustment, and of point wise 3-D measuring of identified structures. The procedure is experimented and the results indicate that the accuracy of applying panoramic imagery for archaeological survey is satisfactory. However, point wise interpretation of detailed structures leads to scattered shapes. We consider that the scattering is mainly caused by stereoscopic imaging geometry. Therefore we propose the use of corresponding features instead of corresponding points when applying photogrammetric documentation for 3-D structural measuring.
3D Modelling of Archaeological Small Finds by a Low-Cost Range Camera: Methodology and First Results
ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
The production of reliable documentation of small finds is a crucial process during archaeological excavations. Range cameras can be a valid alternative to traditional illustration methods: they are veritable 3D scanners able to easily collect the 3D geometry (shape and dimensions in metric units) of an object/scene practically in real-time. <br><br> This work investigates precisely the potentialities of a promising low-cost range camera, the Structure Sensor<sup>TM</sup> by Occipital, for rapid modelling archaeological objects. The accuracy assessment was thus performed by comparing the 3D model of a Cipriot-Phoenician globular jug captured by this device with the 3D model of the same object obtained through photogrammetry. <br><br> In general, the performed analysis shows that Structure Sensor is capable to acquire the 3D geometry of a small object with an accuracy comparable at millimeter level to that obtainable with the photogrammetric method...
From 2D to 3D: a photogrammetric revolution in archaeology?
2012
This thesis investigates the possibilities of modern digital photogrammetry as a methodologyfor topographical field documentation in archaeology. The methodology is compared to whathas become the main tool for topographical documentation in Norwegian rescue archaeology,the total station. Using self-developed methods for evaluating the data I have been able todetermine the quality of each methodology in terms of resolution and time spent recording.This evaluation shows that digital photogrammetry is by far the better choice for recordingtopographical data at an archaeological excavation. I have also shown some possibleapplications for this kind of data in both visualizing and analyzing the data.
Digital Photogrammetry and Structure from Motion for Architectural Heritage
Handbook of Research on Emerging Digital Tools for Architectural Surveying, Modeling, and Representation, 2015
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Method for photogrammetric surveying of archaeological sites with light aerial platforms
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2012
In this paper, we describe a complete methodology for performing photogrammetric surveying of archaeological sites using light aerial platforms or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. Traditionally, the main problem with using these platforms is the irregular geometry of the photographs obtained. These irregular image block patterns are occasioned by uncontrolled circumstances (e. g. effect of wind, lack of flight control, etc.) which generate high imprecision in the positioning of camera stations. The method proposed here allows the execution of the photogrammetric flight following the predicted parameters determined in mission planning (camera focal length, photo scale, ground sample distance-GSD-, overlaps, etc.) so we can obtain regular flight geometries. Our method allows the use of conventional photogrammetric data reduction methods based on the use of stereoscopic photogrammetric workstations. Although flights with irregular patterns can allow the formation of stereo pairs within certain limits, conventional photogrammetric procedures often have great difficulty in processing these irregular image blocks. For this reason this system raises the staking out of the camera positions by using a robotized total station and a mini prism situated on the platform. This method is applied to a real photogrammetric survey of an archaeological site of the Tartessic epoch in Southern Spain. The results obtained, confirmed by a quality control of the photogrammetric flight, have demonstrated the viability of this methodology even when moderate wind effects appear.