Low-Cost Collection Digitization: Streamlining Photogrammetric Methodologies

In recent years, it has become possible to rapidly digitize artifacts into three-dimensional (3D) form. The creation of sharable 3D datasets has the potential to increase collaborative efforts and collection access on a large scale. Despite this, archaeologists have struggled to employ an accurate, quick, and transportable solution to collecting data for model generation in field contexts. Photogrammetric modeling is an ideal low-cost solution to be explored, requiring minimal equipment, and inexpensive processing software. This project first establishes the accuracy of photogrammetric modeling, including both in terms of inter-observer variability, and between data collection protocols. We propose a standardized procedure to maximize accuracy, and minimize the time required for data collection. Machine-made objects of known dimensions are modeled and used to verify techniques, and establish error and variability associated with various procedures. Variations between measurements of photogrammetric models, caliper based measurements, and laser-scanned models are established.