Data Acquisition for the Geometric Documentation of Cultural Heritage

Abstract

This chapter is divided into five sections. In the first introductory section, the geometric documentation of cultural heritage is defined, while its necessity is also stressed. In addition, the various products which could be included in a geometric documentation are also presented. Moreover, the standards and specifications accepted nowadays are mentioned. In the second section, the passive data acquisition methods are presented. They include those sensors and methodologies which collect data based on the radiation emitted from the objects and have an external—usually natural—source, e.g. the sun. In the third section, the active methods are presented. They include sensors and devices that emit their own radiation and record the part radiating back from the objects of interest. In the fourth section, the contemporary processing methods of the acquired data are presented. They include processing of all kinds of raw data, irrespective of their origin or method of acquisition. Finally, in the last section, three examples are presented in order to enlighten the readers with the various methodologies of acquisition and processing of the data for three representative cultural heritage objects of varying size and properties.