Rapid Speleological Survey Procedures for Hermitages.The Cave of the Angel in Montesano (SA)

Abstract

The paper presents an experiment having the objective of verifying the use of low-cost sensors such as solid-state Lidar embedded in a smartphone for cave surveying. The case study is a micaelic hermitage in Montesano sulla Marcellana (Italy) and is part of a research that deals with the analysis and digitization of rupestrian architecture, especially, hermitages dedicated to the cult of St. Michael present in Campania (Italy). In order to evaluate the application potential of Lidar for cave surveying, comparisons were made between the results of different surveying campaigns performed both with traditional speleological techniques and by TLS sensors. The experimentation provides quantitative assessments of the possibility of using these new sensors that would make the acquisition steps even faster. In addition, the outcomes of the survey shed light on previously unknown aspects of the case study.