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Individual archaeological sites can sometimes show a complex morphology. One such site is the Roman quarries located one kilometre northwest of the Roman fortress at Udhruh, in the hinterland of Petra. In archaeology there are various platforms such as balloons, kites and unmanned aerial vehicles (uav's) from which low altitude aerial photographs can be taken that have been proven to work. All with their specific advantages above others in different circumstances. By designing a very distinct setup for the kite and optimizing the workflow accordingly, an effective and steady platform for the camera was created. The Quarries were photographed from the air and the images then provided enough material to accurately create a 3D model of the site.

Tesis por compendio de publicaciones, [EN] The continued advances and developmets in 3D recording, modeling and visualization techniques have opened up new ways of conveying information. On the one hand, geotechnologies are fundamental to 3D recording and modeling due to their being highly accurate, non-invasive and non-contact techniques. A wide range of active and passive sensors enable the recording of 3D information using aerial, mobile or terrestrial systems. The geometric and radiometric information generated allows for the creation of a faithful 3D representation of reality, which is accurate, detailed and photo-realistic and thus useful for documentation, conservation, study and analysis of the object in scene in question. Vast and complex datasets are generated, which point to optimization as the key phase of processing. For a correct management and visualization of real-time data, it is necessary to reduce the final weight of the product without losing significant details. The strength of geotechnologies has been demostrated in countless fields of work from - among others - civil engineering and forestry, to geology or achaeology. On the other hand, new 3D visualization techniques permit the exploration of digital objects and navigation of reconstructed scenes while new devices allow the management and visualization of data in an interactive and/or immersive way. 3D visualization techniques and devices are employed to best effect in the design and development of video games, however their uses are rapidly diversifying and it is becoming more and more common to find them in different areas, from medicine to tourism, from simulation to archaeology. The presented Doctoral Thesis applies 3D recording, modeling and visualization techniques to different scales of size (artefact, architecture and landscape), while always focusing on the field of Cultural Heritage. The main goal is the research of the most suitable solution based on the case study and integrating, where necessary, different sensors, techniques and/or devices that allow an efficient management and dissemination of heritage information., [ES] El constante avance y desarrollo en técnicas de digitalización, modelación y visualización 3D abre nuevas vías de comunicación para la información. Por una parte, las geotecnologías se consolidan fundamentales para la digitalización y la modelación, por ser técnicas de alta precisión, no invasivas y de no contacto. Una amplia gama de sensores activos y pasivos permiten registrar la información 3D, mediante el uso de sistemas aéreos, móviles o terrestres. La información geométrica y radiométrica generada permite crear una fiel representación de la realidad, precisa, detallada y foto-realística, siendo de gran utilidad para la documentación, la conservación, el estudio y el análisis del objeto u escena en cuestión. Se generan complejos y pesados conjuntos de datos, que apuntan a la optimización como fase clave del procesado, donde es necesario reducir el peso final del producto sin perder detalles significantes, para una correcta gestión y visualización de los datos en tiempo real. La solidez de las geotecnologías queda demostrada en innumerables áreas de trabajo, desde la ingeniería civil y forestal, hasta la geología u arqueología, entre otros. Por otra parte, las nuevas técnicas de visualización 3D permiten explorar objetos y navegar a través de escenas reconstruidas digitalmente, al tiempo que emergen nuevos dispositivos que permiten gestionar y visualizar la información de forma interactiva y/o inmersiva. Las técnicas y dispositivos de visualización 3D encuentran su principal campo de aplicación en el diseño y desarrollo de video juegos, su uso se extiende rápidamente y es cada vez más frecuente encontrarlas en diferentes campos como la medicina, el turismo, la simulación o la arqueología. La presente Tesis Doctoral aplica las técnicas de digitalización, modelación y visualización 3D a diferentes escalas (artefacto, arquitectura y paisaje) y siempre focalizadas en el campo del Patrimonio Cultural. El objetivo es la búsqueda de la solución más adecuada en función del caso de estudio, integrando, donde fuera necesario, diferentes sensores, técnicas y/o dispositivos que permitan una eficiente gestión y divulgación de la información del patrimonio.

none 4 Ensuring color fidelity in image-based 3D modeling of heritage scenarios is nowadays still an open research matter. Image colors are important during the data processing as they affect algorithm outcomes, therefore their correct treatment, reduction and enhancement is fundamental. In this contribution, we present an automated solution developed to improve the radiometric quality of an image datasets and the performances of two main steps of the photogrammetric pipeline (camera orientation and dense image matching). The suggested solution aims to achieve a robust automatic color balance and exposure equalization, stability of the RGB-to-gray image conversion and faithful color appearance of a digitized artifact. The innovative aspects of the article are: complete automation, better color target detection, a MATLAB implementation of the ACR scripts created by Fraser and the use of a specific weighted polynomial regression. A series of tests are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed methodology and to evaluate color accuracy ('color characterization'). Gaiani, Marco; Apollonio, Fabrizio Ivan; Ballabeni, Andrea; Remondino, Fabio Gaiani, Marco; Apollonio, Fabrizio Ivan; Ballabeni, Andrea; Remondino, Fabio

Automated image-based 3D reconstruction methods are more and more flooding our 3D modeling applications. Fully automated solutions give the impression that from a sample of randomly acquired images we can derive quite impressive visual 3D models. Although the level of automation is reaching very high standards, image quality is a fundamental pre-requisite to produce successful and photo-realistic 3D products, in particular when dealing with large datasets of images. This article presents an efficient pipeline based on color enhancement, image denoising, color-to-gray conversion and image content enrichment. The pipeline stems from an analysis of various state-of-the-art algorithms and aims to adjust the most promising methods, giving solutions to typical failure causes. The assessment evaluation proves how an effective image pre-processing, which considers the entire image dataset, can improve the automated orientation procedure and dense 3D point cloud reconstruction, even in the case of poor texture scenarios.

Combining digital reconstruction with mobile technologies has the potential of enriching visitors experience to historic sites. Through designing a mobile App with Google Cardboard it is possible to use technology already in peoples' pockets to provide immersive on-site exploration of historic sites. This paper looks at our experience in developing such a mobile App which acts as a digital guided tour of the remains of St Andrews Cathedral. The App brings together traditional media such as audio, images, panoramas, 3D video and 4π Steradian (or 360°) video with a mobile smartphone and Google Cardboard to provide a tour of one of Scotland's most important historic sites. The mobile App is available from both Google Play and iTunes, providing direct delivery to a potential audience of millions. It complements the location-aware mediaeval St Andrews App, which provides a guided tour to the town of St Andrews as a whole. In the absence of Google Cardboard the App is still useful providing both visual content and audio commentary on this historic monument. Postprint

This paper reports experience in developing a parallel reality system which allows its user to observe and move around their real environment whilst wearing a stereoscopic 3D head mounted display imbued with video-see through capabilities, with their position and gaze tracked by an indoor positioning system and head tracker, allowing them to alternately view their real environment and an immersive virtual reality environment from the equivalent vantage point. In so doing the challenge of the vacancy problem is addressed by lightening the cognitive load needed to switch between realities and to navigate the virtual environment. Evaluation of the usability, system performance and value of the system are undertaken in the context of a cultural heritage application; users are able to compare a reconstruction of an important 15th century chapel with its present day instantiation. Postprint

This study is a cross-disciplinary research carried out by archaeologists, engineers and architects aimed at the knowledge and enhancement of the San Giovanni catacombs complex in Syracuse. The study uses the most innovative 3D surveying and virtual reproduction technologies and methodologies in order to broaden the understanding of the archaeological site's most peculiar features. The digital 3D models of the rooms studied here can be used to enhance the visiting experience and the online presence of the archaeological complex.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Progress in Cultural Heritage Preservation, EuroMed 2012, held in Lemesos, Cyprus, in October/November 2012. The 95 revised full papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 392 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on digital data acquisition technologies and data processing in cultural heritage, 2D and 3D data capture methodologies and data processing in cultural heritage, 2D and 3D GIS in cultural heritage, virtual reality in archaeology and historical research, standards, metadata, ontologies and semantic processing in cultural heritage, data management, archiving and presentation of cultural heritage content, ICT assistance in monitoring and restoration, innovative topics related to the current and future implementation, use, development and exploitation of the EU CH identity card, innovative technologies to asses, monitor and adapt to climate change, digital data acquisition technologies and data processing in cultural heritage, 2D and 3D data capture methodologies and data processing in cultural heritage, on-site and remotely sensed data collection, reproduction techniques and rapid prototyping in cultural heritage, 2D and 3D GIS in cultural heritage, innovative graphics applications and techniques, libraries and archives in cultural heritage, tools for education, documentation and training in CH, standards, metadata, ontologies and semantic processing in cultural heritage, damage assessment, diagnoses and monitoring for the preventive conservation and maintenance of CH, information management systems in CH, European research networks in the field of CH, non-destructive diagnosis technologies for the safe conversation and traceability of cultural assets.

Within the longterm research project Nasca/Palpa, which has been conducted at the group of photogrammetry and remote sensing ofETH Zurich since 1997, an archaeological GIS-database describing the famous ground drawings of thePalparegion and a wide varietyof terrain data and orthoimages were produced at different levels in terms of accuracy and spatial resolution. In order to visualize thesedata in a real time 3D environment, the Skyline Terra Builderand Explorer Pro software packages were chosen due to their capabilitiesof integration of different layers with different resolutions. A second important feature of the used software is the option to enhancethe spatial content by further elements, such as still and dynamic 2D and 3D objects, QuicktimeTM-panoramas and -movies, labels andflight paths, by means of an integrated scene description language. In our case, these options were used to add results from GIS-basedanalyses applied to the geoglyphs in Palpa, e.g. visibilitystudies, and to verify them inside the 3D environment, International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XXXVIII-5/W1, ISSN:1682-1750, ISSN:2194-9034, ISSN:1682-1777

The 3D Virtual Reconstruction and Visualization of Complex Architectures (3D-Arch) project started in 2005 and is now completed. It proposes an integrated approach based upon a combination of different 3D measurement techniques for the virtual reconstruction of complex architectures like those found in medieval castles. This paper summarizes the work done in this project, consolidates incremental work published earlier, and details the latest developments and results. Since no established procedure has been available to model and visualize this type of architectures, the project resulted in several new contributions: an effective workflow for castle 3D modelling, increasing the level of automation, the seamless integration of models created independently from different data sets, integration of 3D models and GIS data, and developing useful visualization tools. We tested the approach on various castles in Northern Italy and the results demonstrated that it is effective, accurate and creates complete and highly detailed models suitable for many purposes such as documentation to track changes for future restoration, education, and tourism., International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XXXVIII (5/W1), ISSN:1682-1750, ISSN:2194-9034, ISSN:1682-1777

In this paper we present a system for three-dimensional reconstruction of architectural scenes from uncalibrated videos. These videosmight be recorded using hand-held cameras, downloaded from the internet or taken from archival sources. Because we do not requireprior knowledge of the camera’s internal parameters such as focal length, center of projection, and radial distortion we can deal withvideos from uncontrolled sources. We present fast algorithms for 2D feature tracking on the GPU, real-time robust estimation andbundle adjustment. We also demonstrate a new type of feature, the viewpoint invariant patch (VIP), in its application to loop detectionand closing., International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XXXVIII (5/W1), ISSN:1682-1750, ISSN:2194-9034, ISSN:1682-1777

We present an approach for automatic 3D reconstruction of outdoor scenes using computer vision techniques. Our system collectsvideo, GPS and INS data which are processed in real-time to produce geo-registered, detailed 3D models that represent the geometryand appearance of the world. These models are generated without manual measurements or markers in the scene and can be used forvisualization from arbitrary viewpoints, documentation and archiving of large areas. Our system consists of a data acquisition systemand a processing system that generated 3D models from the video sequences off-line but in real-time. The GPS/INS measurementsallow us to geo-register the pose of the camera at the time each frame was captured. The following stages of the processing pipelineperform dense reconstruction and generate the 3D models, which are in the form of a triangular mesh and a set of images that providetexture. By leveraging the processing power of the GPU, we are able to achieve faster than real-time performance, while maintainingan accuracy of a few cm., International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XXXVI (5/W47), ISSN:1682-1750, ISSN:2194-9034, ISSN:1682-1777