Benchmarking Different SfM-MVS Photogrammetric and iOS LiDAR Acquisition Methods for the Digital Preservation of a Short-Lived Excavation: A Case Study from an Area of Sinkhole Related Subsidence

We are witnessing a digital revolution in geoscientific field data collection and data sharing, driven by the availability of low-cost sensory platforms capable of generating accurate surface reconstructions as well as the proliferation of apps and repositories which can leverage their data products. Whilst the wider proliferation of 3D close-range remote sensing applications is welcome, improved accessibility is often at the expense of model accuracy. To test the accuracy of consumer-grade close-range 3D model acquisition platforms commonly employed for geo-documentation, we have mapped a 20-m-wide trench using aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry, as well as iOS LiDAR. The latter was used to map the trench using both the 3D Scanner App and PIX4Dcatch applications. Comparative analysis suggests that only in optimal scenarios can geotagged field-based photographs alone result in models with acceptable scaling errors, though even in these cases, the orientation of the transformed model is not sufficiently accurate for most geoscientific applications requiring structural metric data. The apps tested for iOS LiDAR acquisition were able to produce accurately scaled models, though surface deformations caused by simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) errors are present. Finally, of the tested apps, PIX4Dcatch is the iOS LiDAR acquisition tool able to produce correctly oriented models.

Automated summary

We are witnessing a digital revolution in geoscientific field data collection and sharing, driven by low-cost sensory platforms and various apps. However, the accuracy of consumer-grade 3D model acquisition platforms is often compromised for improved accessibility. Comparative analysis suggests that geotagged field-based photographs alone may not result in models with acceptable scaling errors, while iOS LiDAR acquisition apps can produce accurately scaled models but may have surface deformations caused by SLAM errors.