For cultural heritage recording cost effective and easy to use methods offer many advantages and techniques based upon close-range photogrammetry have proved effective in this area. Off-the-shelf digital cameras can be used to rapidly acquire data and at low cost, allowing non-experts to become involved in both recording and measurement (Bryan and Chandler, 2008). However, the necessity to derive the exterior orientation of the camera from coordinated control points is time consuming and costly and using targets can be often undesirable at sensitive sites. In this PhD programme, developed in collaboration with English Heritage, it is suggested that these problems can be overcome by deriving exterior orientation parameters directly. Therefore a recording system comprising an of off-the-shelf digital SLR camera, a small and comparatively cheap orientation sensor, and DGPS has been developed.

For cultural heritage recording cost effective and easy to use methods offer many advantages and techniques based upon close-range photogrammetry have proved effective in this area. Off-the-shelf digital cameras can be used to rapidly acquire data and at low cost, allowing non-experts to become involved in both recording and measurement (Bryan and Chandler, 2008). However, the necessity to derive the exterior orientation of the camera from coordinated control points is time consuming and costly and using targets can be often undesirable at sensitive sites.

In this PhD programme, developed in collaboration with English Heritage, it is suggested that these problems can be overcome by deriving exterior orientation parameters directly. Therefore a recording system comprising an of off-the-shelf digital SLR camera, a small and comparatively cheap orientation sensor, and DGPS has been developed.

The system components were assembled in a compact and rigid frame that prevents them from moving with respect to each other. The rotational and positional offsets between the components need to be calibrated, prior to testing the system on different heritage sites, to assess performance and practicability.

Results of preliminary tests indicate that the data recorded by the system can indeed meet the accuracy requirements for heritage recording with either a single or even no control points. As the recording system has been configured with a focus on low-cost and easy-to-use components, it is believed suitable for heritage recording by non-specialists. This offers the opportunity for lay people to become more involved in their local heritage, an important objective established by English Heritage.

Bryan, P.; Chandler, J.H. (2008): Cost-effective rock-art recording within a non-specialist environment. International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Science, 37(B5), pp. 259-264

Related Links

• Melanie Kirchhoefer - Loughborough University profile