Implementation of ultra-light UAV systems for cultural heritage documentation

Аннотация

Historical monuments and buildings are vulnerable to disasters, tourism and human actions. Therefore, digital documentation of cultural heritage is an essential subject for their preservation and restoration. Use of unmanned aerial vehicles for this purpose is time-saving compared to traditional methods. In this study, we aim to provide a very low cost solution for cultural heritage documentation using an ultra-light drone. We explore implementation and usability of structure-from-motion photogrammetry to produce 3D point cloud and orthoimage using ultra-light-drone images. We also investigate the accuracy of obtained outputs compared to terrestrial laser scanner. We discuss the benefits and disadvantages of ultra-light-drones with respect to consumer grade low cost unmanned aerial vehicles and terrestrial laser scanners.