The Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the 3D Documentation of Historical and Cultural Heritage: The Case of Ceyhan Kurtkulağı Caravanserai

Abstract

Detailed documentation of historical and cultural heritage is a necessity for further analysis, interpretation, and physical reconstruction. Usage of The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in this role have been increasing day by day. As a result of its important contributions to the production of three-dimensional (3D) terrain models, it has reached an important point in the discipline of surveying engineering. Especially in 3D modeling and documentation of historical and cultural heritage, UAVs are advantageous tools in terms of time and cost when compared to the classical methods. The aim of this study is to generate a 3D model of the Kurtkulağı Caravanserai, located in the Kurtkulağı town of Ceyhan District of Adana, using UAV (DJI Phantom 4 RTK) and to reveal the importance of UAV in the documentation of this historical structure. In this context, according to a planned flight on the UAV, following the capture of the images of the caravanserai in a multiview aspect, a metric 3D model was produced using photogrammetric methods. Root Mean Square Errors (RMSEs) in X, Y, Z coordinates were calculated based on the Ground Control Points (GCPs) and corresponding model coordinates. The RMSEs for X, Y, Z coordinates were calculated 0.019m, 0.025m, and 0.033m, respectively.