Integrated Geomatic Approaches for the 3D Documentation and Analysis of the Church of Saint Andrew in Orani, Sardinia

Giuseppina Vacca

First

;Enrica Vecchi

Second

2025-01-01

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Abstract

Documenting cultural heritage sites through 3D reconstruction is crucial and can be ac-complished using various geomatic techniques, such as Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS),Close-Range Photogrammetry (CRP), and UAV photogrammetry. Each method comes withdifferent levels of complexity, accuracy, field times, post-processing requirements, and costs,making them suitable for different types of restitutions. Recently, research has increasinglyfocused on user-friendly and faster techniques, while also considering the cost–benefitbalance between accuracy, times, and costs. In this scenario, photogrammetry using imagescaptured with 360-degree cameras and LiDAR sensors integrated into Apple devices havegained significant popularity. This study proposes the application of various techniquesfor the geometric reconstruction of a complex cultural heritage site, the Church of SaintAndrew in Orani, Sardinia. Datasets acquired from different geomatic techniques havebeen evaluated in terms of quality and usability for documenting various aspects of the site.The TLS provided an accurate model of both the interior and exterior of the church, servingas the ground truth for the validation process. UAV photogrammetry offered a broaderview of the exterior, while panoramic photogrammetry from 360◦ camera was applied tosurvey the bell tower’s interior. Additionally, CRP and Apple LiDAR were compared inthe context of a detailed survey.