Fusion of UAV and Terrestrial Photogrammetry with Laser Scanning for 3D Reconstruction of Historic Churches in Georgia

Abstract

In September 2018, photogrammetric images and terrestrial laser scans were carried out as part of a measurement campaign for the three-dimensional recording of several historic churches in Tbilisi (Georgia). The aim was the complete spatial reconstruction with a spatial resolution and accuracy of approx. 1 cm under partly difficult external conditions, which required the use of different measurement techniques. The local measurement data were collected by two laser scanning campaigns (Leica BLK360 and Faro Focus 3D X330), several UAV flights and two terrestrial image sets. The photogrammetric point clouds were calculated with the image-based modelling programs AgiSoft and RealityCapture taking into account the control points from the laser scans. The mean residual errors from the registrations or photogrammetric evaluations are 4–16 mm, depending on the selected software, size and complexity of the monument and environmental conditions. The best completeness and quality of the resulting 3D model was achieved by using laser scan data and images simultaneously. The article presents recent results obtained with RealityCapture and gives a critical analysis of accuracy and modelling quality.

Keywords

• UAV photogrammetry
• camera calibration
• geo-referencing
• data fusion
• cultural heritage
• image-based modelling