LiDAR and Photogrammetry Data Evaluation from a Lava Tube Mission in Sicily

As part of the research presented in the paper: “<em>LiDAR and Photogrammetry Data Evaluation from a Lava Tube Mission in Sicily”</em>, conducted within the ESA co-funded Rhizome 2.0 project, this dataset documents the processing of the mapping data of Grotta di Monte Intraleo, a terrestrial lava tube on Mt. Etna, Sicily, serving as an analogue site for extraterrestrial exploration. The data available in this repository builds on previously published data, which is also available unprocessed, and supports comparative evaluations of LiDAR and photogrammetric approaches, informing habitat design strategies for the underground environments of Martian and Lunar lava tubes.The dataset comprises three primary components:<br><strong>Final LiDAR Point Clouds</strong>: This file contains the complete registered and merged point cloud of Grotta di Monte Intraleo, alongside its processing history. Subfolders include the five <em>Unregistered Parts</em> (individual scans), <em>Registered Parts</em> (aligned using CloudCompare’s <em>ICP Registration</em>), and the <em>Merged and Final Cloud</em>. Additionally, the file includes the navigation mesh produced by the quadruped robot during autonomous traversal.<strong>Final Photogrammetric Point Cloud</strong>: This file contains the photogrammetric reconstruction of the lava tube, derived from two separate video footages and processed with the software Agisoft Metashape and CloudCompare. It includes both the <em>Unmerged</em> registered scans and the <em>Merged</em> final cloud.<strong>Cloud-to-Cloud Distance Analyses</strong>: This file provides quantitative comparisons of the datasets. It includes (a) distance analyses between LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds (additional to the published paper), and (b) analyses of alignment error between individual LiDAR scans (as discussed in the paper).Data processing was performed using the Open Source software <strong>CloudCompare</strong>, which employed<em> ICP registration</em>, <em>Cloud-to-Cloud distance metrics</em>, and <em>Poisson surface reconstruction</em>. Users can explore and visualize the datasets by installing CloudCompare and loading the .bin files.This dataset has been curated to enable reproducible research in robotic mapping, autonomous navigation, and 3D reconstruction of subsurface environments. Beyond terrestrial applications, it contributes to the ongoing evaluation of lava tubes as candidates for sustainable extraterrestrial habitats.

本数据集依托于发表在论文《LiDAR与摄影测量数据评估：来自西西里岛熔岩洞穴任务》（原标题：*LiDAR and Photogrammetry Data Evaluation from a Lava Tube Mission in Sicily*）的研究工作，该研究由欧洲空间局（ESA）资助的Rhizome 2.0项目支持。数据集记录了西西里岛埃特纳火山上的蒙特因特拉莱奥熔岩洞穴（Grotta di Monte Intraleo）的测绘数据处理流程，该洞穴可作为地外探测的类比研究场地。本仓库中的数据基于已公开的原始未处理数据构建，可用于对比评估激光雷达（LiDAR）与摄影测量（Photogrammetry）方法，为火星、月球熔岩洞穴地下环境的栖息地设计策略提供参考依据。

数据集包含三大核心组成部分：
1. **最终激光雷达点云**：该文件包含蒙特因特拉莱奥熔岩洞穴完整的配准合并点云及其处理历史。子文件夹包含五个*未配准片段*（单次独立扫描数据）、*已配准片段*（使用CloudCompare的*ICP配准*完成对齐）以及*合并最终点云*。此外，该文件还包含四足机器人自主遍历洞穴时生成的导航网格。
2. **最终摄影测量点云**：该文件包含该熔岩洞穴的摄影测量重建结果，数据源自两段独立的视频素材，经Agisoft Metashape与CloudCompare软件处理得到。其中包含*未合并的已配准扫描片段*与*合并后的最终点云*。
3. **点云间距离分析**：该文件提供了数据集的定量对比分析结果，包含：(a) 激光雷达与摄影测量点云之间的距离分析（补充自已发表论文内容）；(b) 单次激光雷达扫描之间的配准误差分析（与论文中讨论的内容一致）。

本数据集使用开源软件CloudCompare完成全部处理工作，该软件采用了*ICP配准*、*点云间距离度量*以及*泊松表面重建*技术。用户可通过安装CloudCompare并加载.bin格式文件，对数据集进行探索与可视化操作。

本数据集经过精心整理，旨在支持机器人测绘、自主导航以及地下环境三维重建领域的可重复研究。除陆地应用场景外，该数据集还有助于持续评估熔岩洞穴作为可持续地外栖息地候选场地的可行性。