Abstract
Abstract. The increasing commercialization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has opened the possibility of performing low-cost aerial image acquisition for the documentation of cultural heritage sites through UAV photogrammetry. The flying of UAVs in Canada is regulated through Transport Canada and requires a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) in order to fly. Various image acquisition techniques have been explored in this review, as well as well software used to register the data. A general workflow procedure has been formulated based off of the literature reviewed. A case study example of using UAV photogrammetry at Prince of Wales Fort is discussed, specifically in relation to the data acquisition and processing. Some gaps in the literature reviewed highlight the need for streamlining the SFOC application process, and incorporating UAVs into cultural heritage documentation courses.
Highlights
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has quite literally taken the cultural heritage field to new heights
UAVs are changing the way we look at the world
UAVs themselves are known by many different names, including remotely piloted vehicles (RPV), drones, and remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) (Bolognesi et al, 2015; Nex and Remondino, 2014)
Summary
The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has quite literally taken the cultural heritage field to new heights. UAVs are changing the way we look at the world. They are becoming more of a common tool and are not shrouded in secrecy as they once were. According to the Canadian Aviation Regulations, the term ‘unmanned aerial vehicle’ is defined as “a power-driven aircraft, other than a model aircraft, that is designed to fly without a human operator on board (Government of CanadaLegislative Services Branch 2017).”. UAVs themselves are known by many different names, including remotely piloted vehicles (RPV), drones, and remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) (Bolognesi et al, 2015; Nex and Remondino, 2014). For the context of this review, the term UAV will be used throughout
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