A proposal of a new automated method for SfM/MVS 3D reconstruction through comparisons of 3D data by SfM/MVS and handheld laser scanners

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 20;17(7):e0270660. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270660. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

SfM/MVS photogrammetry has received increasing attention due to its convenience, broadening the range of its applications into archaeology and anthropology. Because the accuracy of SfM/MVS depends on photography, one important issue is that incorrect or low-density point clouds are found in 3D models due to poor overlapping between images. A systematic way of taking photographs solve these problems, though it has not been well established and the accuracy has not been examined either, with some exceptions. The present study aims to (i) develop an efficient method for recording pottery using an automated turntable and (ii) assess its accuracy through a comparison with 3D models made by laser scanning. We recorded relatively simple pottery manufactured by prehistoric farmers in the Japanese archipelago using SfM/MVS photogrammetry and laser scanning. Further, by measuring the Hausdorff distance between 3D models made using these two methods, we show that their difference is negligibly small, suggesting that our method is sufficiently accurate to record pottery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Data Collection
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional* / methods
  • Lasers
  • Photogrammetry* / methods
  • Photography

Grants and funding

JSPS (No. 19H05738 to all authors, No. 21K12590 and 19H04520 to KT, No. 20K22029 to TN, and No. 20K00019 to HN), JST (No. JPMJMI20G6) to KN, and Nanzan University Pache Research Subsidy I-A-1 for the 2020 academic year and I-A-2 for the 2021 academic year to HN. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.