3D-Model of the temple of Chavín de Huántar

Student: Barbara Haebler

Description and Objectives

 

This project aims for a textured 3D-Model of the temple installation in Chavín de Huántar in the peruvian Andes (fig. one) based on a set of ad hoc made photographs using the photogrammetric Software PhotoModeler. Chavín de Huántar is an archeological site which is situated in the Andes about 250 km north of Lima, Peru. The temple was built by the highly sophisticated culture Chavín, which had its zenith between 1000 and 200 before Christ. The photographs were taken with a digital CMOS-Camera Canon D10. Different zoom levels (focal length 28, 35, 64, 80 and 90mm) and irregular perspectives and distances to the object are the characteristics of the photographs. Calibration data is available for the photographs with focal length of 28mm only. In this work the point was to find out whether the creation of a 3D-Model of a fairly complex object based on this starting position is realisable.
Following approach was taken for this project: - Creation of an approximate model of the temple area as an overview by orientating about six photographs. - Adding a couple of more detailed photographs to increase accuracy and complete the model. - Adding realistic texture taken from the photographs to the model. - Exporting the model into the 3D-Vector-format VRML in order to present the result in the Web.
Within the project time, no accurate model could be created. RMS of 20 pixels up to 100 pixels were realistic. Difficulties were encountered when locating equal points in two or more images because of different resolutions, as displayed in figure two.

 

The work has shown, that, concerning the available data, this approach has not been an appropriate one and the software is not suitable for the use of such a diverse set of photographs. However, using exclusive calibrated data and a regular configuration of the photographs could give good results in PhotoModeler.