Quantifying Uncertainty in Hypothetical 3D Reconstruction—A User-Independent Methodology for the Calculation of Average Uncertainty

Abstract

A shared commitment to standardising the process of hypothetically reconstructing lost buildings from the past has characterised academic research in recent years and can manifest at various stages of the reconstructive process and with different perspectives. This research specifically aims to establish a user-independent and traceable procedure that can be applied at the end of the reconstructive process to quantify the average level of uncertainty of 3D digital architectural models. The procedure consists of applying a set of mathematical formulas based on numerical values retrievable from a given scale of uncertainty and developed to simplify reuse and improve transparency in reconstructive 3D models. This effort to assess uncertainty in the most user-independent way possible will contribute to producing 3D models that are more comparable to each other and more transparent for academic researchers, professionals, and laypersons who wish to reuse them. Being able to calculate a univocal numerical value that gives information on the global average uncertainty of a certain reconstructive model is an additional synthetic way, together with the more visual false-colour scale of uncertainty, to help disseminate the work in a clear and transmissible way. However, since the hypothetical reconstructive process is a process based on personal interpretation, which inevitably requires a certain level of subjectivity, it is crucial to define a methodology to assess and communicate this subjectivity in a user-independent and reproducible way.