Special Issue "Geoinformatics for the Preservation and Valorization of Cultural Heritage"

A special issue of Drones (ISSN 2504-446X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mining Technology, Topography and Structures, University of León, Avda. Astorga, s/n, 24401 Ponferrada, Spain
Interests: photogrammetry; drones; laser scanning; radiometric calibration; remote sensing; RGB-D sensors; 3D modeling; mobile mapping; metrology; verification; inspection; quality control
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cultural Heritage (CH) assets and archaeological sites are vulnerable and unrecoverable elements exposed to multiple threats, from natural disasters to human-caused damage. Binomial geoinformatics and drones are being highlighted as key elements of the preservation of CH structures and objects through the identification and two-dimensional (2D) localization of objects, three-dimensional (3D) digitization and documentation, assessment of their structure and evolution over time, and their management and planning, among other things. There is an increasing need to develop new approaches to geoinformatics and drones to meet conservation, preservation, and valorization requirements.

This Joint Special Issue of the ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information and Drones originates from the Working Group WG II/8 of Commission II of the XXIV ISPRS 2020 Congress. One of the scopes of the congress was to present the latest developments in geoinformatics and drones and the most interesting applications in CH. All participants have the opportunity to publish extended and improved versions of their papers in this Joint Special Issue after a peer review process.

We would like to invite you to contribute with original research articles, experimental works, reviews, and case studies related to geoinformatics and drones for the preservation and valorization of CH. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to:

  • 3D documentation, modeling, and/or visualization in CH;
  • applications of drones in CH;
  • photogrammetry, laser scanning, and mobile/handheld data collection in CH;
  • heritage building information modeling (HBIM);
  • virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) in CH;
  • data and sensor integration in CH;
  • archive data digitization in CH;
  • accuracy and precision assessment of CH modeling;
  • machine/deep learning in CH;
  • multi/hyperspectral analysis in CH;
  • restoration/rehabilitation in CH;
  • 3D prototyping in CH;
  • underwater CH documentation; and
  • semantic classification of point clouds in CH.

Dr. Pablo Rodríguez-Gonzálvez
Prof. Dr. Fulvio Rinaudo
Prof. Dr. Diego González-Aguilera
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geoinformatics
  • cultural heritage
  • drones
  • 3D modeling
  • mobile sensors
  • image-based sensors
  • range-based sensors
  • sensor fusion and data integration
  • point cloud processing (filtering, segmentation, classification, modeling)
  • HBIM
  • VR/AR/MR

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Revealing Archaeological Sites under Mediterranean Forest Canopy Using LiDAR: El Viandar Castle (husum) in El Hoyo (Belmez-Córdoba, Spain)
Drones 2021, 5(3), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones5030072 - 03 Aug 2021
Viewed by 420
Abstract
Light detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology is a valuable tool for archaeological prospection in areas covered by dense vegetation. Its capacity to penetrate dense forest environments enables it to detect archaeological remains scattered over orographically complex areas. LiDAR-derived digital terrain models (DTMs) have [...] Read more.
Light detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology is a valuable tool for archaeological prospection in areas covered by dense vegetation. Its capacity to penetrate dense forest environments enables it to detect archaeological remains scattered over orographically complex areas. LiDAR-derived digital terrain models (DTMs) have made an exceptional contribution towards identifying topographic landscapes of archaeological interest. In this study, we focus on an area of intense historic settlement from the Chalcolithic to the Middle Ages, which today is completely covered by Mediterranean forest. Due to the dense canopy, and the fact that it is a protected area on private land, it has never been analyzed. To reveal the settlement, we primarily used a series of LiDAR mapping surveys to gather data and analyzed other open access remote sensing resources from the National Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN). The IGN LiDAR data proved to be of particular interest. These resources enabled us to detect an ancient fortress (El Viandar Castle) and its surrounding settlement. LiDAR, in conjunction with other products, was fundamental in identifying the site. Equally, the mapping surveys enabled us to analyze the limits and scope of the IGN airborne LiDAR and other free access remote sensing products. Our background in this research demonstrates that low-cost products applied to LiDAR research in archaeology have major limitations when it is necessary to have a high level of spatial resolution in order to define the layout and the main components of an archaeological site. Full article
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Article
Correlation among Earthwork and Cropmark Anomalies within Archaeological Landscape Investigation by Using LiDAR and Multispectral Technologies from UAV
Drones 2020, 4(4), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones4040072 - 30 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2077
Abstract
This project aimed to systematically investigate the archaeological remains of the imperial Domitian villa in Sabaudia (Italy), using different three-dimensional survey techniques. Particular attention in the research was paid to the identification and documentation of traces that buried structures left on the surface [...] Read more.
This project aimed to systematically investigate the archaeological remains of the imperial Domitian villa in Sabaudia (Italy), using different three-dimensional survey techniques. Particular attention in the research was paid to the identification and documentation of traces that buried structures left on the surface occupied by the villa, which extended for 46 hectares, an area that was fully covered with structures. Since a dense pine forest was planted during the 1940s and is currently covering the site, this contribution investigates particularly the correlation among the presence of cropmarks, identifiable with the processing of multispectral maps and vegetation indices from RGB images, and earthwork anomalies identified in a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) built, by utilizing a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) flight from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The study demonstrates how the use of vegetation maps—calculated starting from RGB and multispectral aerial photos—can provide a more expeditious preliminary analysis on the position and extension of areas characterized by the presence of buried structures, but also that, in order to investigate in-depth a context in similar conditions, the most effective approach remains the one based on LiDAR technology. The integration between the two techniques may prove fruitful in limiting the extension of the areas to be investigated with terrestrial survey techniques. Full article
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