Optimization of Photogrammetric Flights with UAVs for the Metric Virtualization of Archaeological Sites. Application to Juliobriga (Cantabria, Spain)

Three-dimensional models are required to virtualize heritage sites. In recent years, different techniques that ease their generation have been consolidated, such as photogrammetry with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Nonmetric cameras allow relatively inexpensive data collections. Traditional aeria...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Julio Manuel de Luis-Ruiz, Javier Sedano-Cibrián, Raúl Pereda-García, Rubén Pérez-Álvarez, Beatriz Malagón-Picón
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1204
Description
Summary:Three-dimensional models are required to virtualize heritage sites. In recent years, different techniques that ease their generation have been consolidated, such as photogrammetry with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Nonmetric cameras allow relatively inexpensive data collections. Traditional aerial photogrammetry has established methodologies, but there are not commonly used recommendations for the selection of parameters when working with UAV platforms. This research applies the Taguchi Design of Experiments Method, with four parameters (height of flight, forward and lateral overlaps, and inclination angle of the sensor) and three levels (L<sub>9</sub> matrix and nine flights), to determine the set that offers the best metric goodness and, therefore, the most faithful model. The Roman <i>civitas</i> of Juliobriga (Cantabria, North of Spain) was selected for this experiment. The optimal flight results of the average signal-to-noise ratio analysis were height of 15 m, forward and lateral overlaps of 80%, and inclination of 0° (nadiral). This research also highlights the noticeable contribution of the inclination in the accuracy of the model with respect to the others, which is 16.4 times higher than that of the less relevant one (height of flight). This leads to propose avoiding inclination angle as a variable, and the sole development of nadiral flights to obtain accurate models.
ISSN:2076-3417