This document discusses a project called HeritageTogether that aims to create 3D models of megalithic monuments in Wales using crowdsourced photos from the public. The project addresses challenges facing archaeologists in thoroughly surveying over 2,500 sites due to limited time and resources. Through the HeritageTogether website, members of the public can upload photos of sites which are then processed into 3D models using photogrammetry and structure-from-motion techniques. The models are made available online and the project engages both the public and academics to record and analyze cultural heritage assets through digital means.

1. A Web Community for
Digitising Cultural Heritage Assets
Andrew Wilson
Bangor University
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2. Outline
• Context of the project
− Overview
− What kind of heritage?
• Challenges facing archaeologists
• HeritageTogether
− Photogrammetry
− Crowdsourcing
− HeritageTogether pipeline
• Engaging the public
• Engaging the academics
• Future work
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3. Overview
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“HeritageTogether is a project that aims to create 3D
models of megalithic monuments (such as standing stones
and burial chambers) in Wales, UK, from crowd-sourced
images. Members of the public upload their photographs
of the sites to the project website. Models are created
using an open source Structure-from-Motion (SfM) work
flow”

4. Overview
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What kind of heritage?

5. Standing Stones
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6. Cairns
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7. Dolmens
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8. Passage Graves
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9. Challenges facing Archaeologists
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• Sites under threat from
– Weather
– Changes in climate
– Urban development
• Time to survey sites
– Takes many hours for each site
• Number of sites to survey
– Over 2,500 sites identified in Wales

10. Recording Sites
• Traditional Recording
– Hand-drawn plans
– Measurements
• A Digital Record
– Photographs
– Total Station
– GPS
– Photogrammetry
– Laser scanning
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11. Photogrammmetry
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12. Photogrammmetry
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13. Crowdsourceing
Can the general public help?
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14. Crowdsourced 3D Modelling
They upload their photographs of a site,
we process the model and make it available on the website
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15. Crowdsourced 3D Modelling
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+ more…
1. A series of photographs
2. Sparse point cloud
Keypoints
identified
using SIFT
Camera position and
pose estimated using a
sparse bundle
adjustment system
CMVS breaks
data into
clusters
3. Dense point cloud
PMVS2 uses camera
positions to
approximate 3D
structure

16. Crowdsourced 3D Modelling
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3. Dense point cloud
4. Mesh
5. Textured Model
Poisson Surface Reconstruction
Texture created from blend
of original images

17. Getting the Models Online
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5. Textured Model
Quadric Edge Collapse
Decimation
Export X3D
X3DOM on webpage
6. Models in Browser

20. Engaging the Academics
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21. Engaging the Academics

22. Engaging the Public
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Exhibitions
Tangible
Models
Open Days
Demonstrations
Workshops

23. Future Work
• Methods of improving the processing
• Analysis of the models
– Classification based on shape
– Extraction of data from models
• Tools for archaeologists
– Analysis of rock art and site information
– Compare sites
• Tools for the public
– Analyse maps and site information 23

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A Web Community for Digitising Cultural Heritage Assets
Thank you!