Photogrammetric Scanning Research Articles

Three-Dimensional Photogrammetric Study on Age-Related Facial Characteristics in Korean Females.

BackgroundUnderstanding the age-related morphological changes of facial soft tissue is fundamental in achieving improved outcomes of rejuvenating procedures. Three-dimensional (3D) photogrammetry is a reliable and convenient anthropometric tool to assess facial soft tissue.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to establish age-related facial soft tissue morphology in Korean adult females using non-invasive 3D photogrammetry.MethodsOne hundred and ninety-two female participants were divided into three groups based on age: the younger group (aged 20~39 years), middle group (40~59 years), and older group (60~79 years). Thirty-six landmarks were identified via 3D photogrammetric scanning (Morpheus 3D, Morpheus Co., Ltd., Seongnam, Korea). Forty-one facial dimensions were analyzed using the imaging software to find significance between the age groups.ResultsSmaller upper-facial volume (p=0.019) and shorter upper-facial height (p=0.034) were observed in the older group than in the younger group. In the mid-face, narrowed palpebral fissure (p<0.001) with elongated upper eyelid height (p<0.001) and widened nose (p<0.001) were observed in the older group compared with the younger group. Longer lower-facial height (p<0.001) with longer and wider philtrum (p<0.001, p=0.004, respectively), shorter lower vermilion height (p<0.001), wider mouth width (p<0.001), and smaller lower vermilion angle (p<0.001) were seen in the older group when compared with the younger group. Moreover, greater angles of nasofrontal, nasomental, and labiomental angle (p=0.015, p=0.015, p=0.080, respectively), and smaller nasofacial angle (p=0.034) were observed in the older group than in the younger group.ConclusionOur results provide clues of aging-related facial morphological characteristics in Korean female population.

Untraining the Bauhaus

Discussing the artistic-research project ‘Jakob K./The New Man', we propose a set of contemporary techno-speculative training practices that challenge historic discourses on body optimization. Created by a collective of performance artists and architectural researchers, the project reconstructs the work of fictional Bauhaus choreographer and gymnastics teacher Jakob Klenke, thus proposing an alternative method of performance historiography. Involving field work, site-specific re-enactment, 3D-scanning, animation and digital fabrication, it culminated in a series of live performances at Kampnagel (Hamburg) and during the 2019 ‘Bauhaus100’ centennial. The text takes the form of an experimental flow-chart manifesto that combines images and descriptions of various elements of the research and performance, such as the speculative training equipment cross-contaminating Breuer's bent-tube furniture with open-ended fitness apparatuses; Klenke's eco-feminist gymnastics classes; or the interpolated reconstruction of Jakob's trans-identity through photogrammetric scanning, scripting and projection. Throughout the text, our methodological proposition unfolds: whilst acknowledging the normalizing effects of training cultures, the reconstruction of Klenke's practice regards training equipment, exercises and the methodologies of their reconstruction as generative and indeterminate. With and against modernist fantasies of formalizing and aligning bodies via training and technology, it imagines a retro-futurist training utopia that allows for the formulation of heterogeneous techno-social practices shaping disobedient (post-)human bodies. Training here carries the potential to create a post-anthropocentric, expanded perceptual sympathy within more-than-human assemblages, enriched with technological agents that can unsettle our habituated perceptions. To train is to repeat and hence is a historiographical practice: by inserting ourselves into a history of fabricated bodies we have the potential to fabricate them differently, untraining dominant historiographical narratives and dominant techniques of power simultaneously. This is what the fictional choreographer Klenke can do: He is a subversion of historical and contemporary modes of entraining subjectivity, a subversion from within-an affordance to repeat differently.

The First Video Witness of Coastal Boulder Displacements Recorded during the Impact of Medicane “Zorbas” on Southeastern Sicily

Over the last few years, several authors have presented contrasting models to describe the response of boulders to extreme waves, but the absence of direct observation of movements has hindered the evaluation of these models. The recent development of online video-sharing platforms in coastal settings has provided the opportunity to monitor the evolution of rocky coastlines during storm events. In September 2018, a surveillance camera of the Marine Protected Area of Plemmirio recorded the movement of several boulders along the coast of Maddalena Peninsula (Siracusa, Southeastern Sicily) during the landfall of the Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone (Medicane) Zorbas. Unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) photogrammetric and terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) surveys were performed to reconstruct immersive virtual scenarios to geometrically analyze the boulder displacements recorded in the video. Analyses highlighted that the displacements occurred when the boulders were submerged as a result of the impact of multiple small waves rather than due to a single large wave. Comparison between flow velocities obtained by videos and calculated through relationships showed a strong overestimation of the models, suggesting that values of flow density and lift coefficient used in literature are underestimated.

From TLS data to FE model: a workflow for studying the dynamic behavior of the Pulpit by Giovanni Pisano in Pistoia (Italy)

This paper discusses the first results of an ongoing two-year research activity aimed to identify the actual dynamic behavior of the Pulpit of Giovanni Pisano in Pistoia in order to design a long-term structural health monitoring system. First steps of the research have foreseen a Photogrammetric and Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) survey of the structure in order to build a refined digital three-dimensional geometric model of the Pulpit to be employed for both documentation and structural assessment. The paper reports the main outcomes of the TLS survey together with the procedure employed to obtain a reliable finite element model of the Pulpit. An original workflow for direct transfer of high accuracy TLS-based three-dimensional model to a finite element model is proposed and discussed.

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL MODULES ON ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOR BACHELOR’S DEGREE CURRICULA IN ARCHITECTURE

Abstract. Modern specialists in the field of architecture work exclusively in three-dimensional space. At the same time, their training completely ignores the state-of-the-art technologies associated with obtaining three-dimensional models of engineering structures. In such circumstances, the connections between the three key participants in the design and construction of engineering structures, namely architects, builders, and surveyors are broken. The main technology that allows obtaining three-dimensional models is photogrammetry. The purpose of the presented article is to determine the subject matter of close-range photogrammetry in solving architectural design problems. Based on certain architectural tasks, educational modules for the discipline of architectural photogrammetry of the bachelor educational level were developed. The peculiarity of the proposed program is that it is designed in such a way that it allows using the whole complex of the modern achievements in the field of automated image processing and the specifics of setting and solving architectural problems. At the same time, this program covers such modern technologies and concepts as UAV photogrammetry, digital photogrammetry, photogrammetric scanning, BIM, GIS, etc. Such an approach allows students without problems to learn several special knowledge, which is owned by surveyors and photogrammetrists. The approximate content of the course of architectural photogrammetry for bachelor students is presented.

Reliability of a Virtual Prosthodontic Project Realized through a 2D and 3D Photographic Acquisition: An Experimental Study on the Accuracy of Different Digital Systems.

Aims: The study aims to assess the accuracy of digital planning in dentistry, evaluating the characteristics of different intraoral 3D scanners and comparing it with traditional imaging 2D recording methods. Specifically, using computer aided design (CAD) software and measuring inside CAD software, authors want to verify the reliability of different models obtained with different techniques and machines. Methods: 12 patients that needed aesthetic restorative treatment were enrolled in the study. All the patients underwent recording data of the height and width dental elements 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 size using different technologies and comparing 2D with 3D methods. A T test was then applied in order to verify whether there was a statistically significant difference between the measurements obtained, comparing the different tools data (Emerald, TRIOS, Photogrammetry and DSS (Digital Smile System)) with the reference values. Results: No significant differences emerged in the measurements made with the different scanners (Trios 3Shape ®, Planmeca Emerald ®) and photogrammetry. Therefore, what should be underlined regarding the 2D measurements is the speed and simplicity compared to all 3D techniques, so this work can help to better define the field of application and the limits connected to 2D techniques, giving a good window of the technique. Conclusions: The low number of patients is not sufficient to provide statistically significant results, but the digital planning future prospects seem to be promising. This study results highlighted how a photogrammetric scanner for dental arches would only have a much smaller shooting field size and greater accuracy. Despite these considerations, the photogrammetric facial scanner provided excellent results for the measurement of individual teeth, showing a great versatility of use.

GROUND BASED 3D MODELLING (PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND TLS) - SURVEY, DOCUMENTATION AND STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT OF XX CENTURY CULTURAL HERITAGE IN INDIA – A CASE STUDY OF THE MASONRY VAULTS IN DEHRADUN

Abstract. The paper presents the case study of the survey of the sail vaults of the main building of the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun. The building has been acquired with photogrammetric and laser scanner techniques during the Ground Based 3D Modelling (Photogrammetry and TLS) tutorial, at the ISPRS TC V Mid-term Symposium held in Dehradun, India in November 2018. The acquired data was then used for a structural evaluation of masonry vaults. The 3D model, built using the point cloud data, has been used in an open source finite element analysis software to develop a numerical model and comparative analyses have been carried out. The objective of numerical analysis is assessing both the benefits of structural meshes generated directly from point cloud data and the structural behaviour of the masonry vaults.

THE GIARDINO DELLE CAMELIE IN THE BOBOLI MONUMENTAL GARDEN: INTEGRATED SURVEY, STRUCTURAL REINFORCEMENT AND RESTORATION PROJECT OF THE ARCHITECTURE, THE DECORATIONS AND THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM

Abstract. The Boboli Monumental Garden, from the first half of the 17th century, houses “secret” spaces such as the Giardino delle Camelie, a secluded space reserved only for members of the Medici family. The particular configuration, both in plan and height, and the state of conservation of the Garden required a thorough survey with photogrammetric and laser scanner techniques as a preliminary investigation for the restoration and structural reinforcement project. The survey, together with a careful examination of the present conditions, the historical and archival research, the geognostic investigations enabled to investigate the object in its many specificities and to proceed to the following analysis and design.Starting from the 3D model, it has been possible to extract all the 2D views for the rendering of the survey and project drawings and to achieve countless qualitative and quantitative information on the structures, otherwise difficult to deduce, useful both for the project and restoration.

COMPARISON OF UAVS PERFORMANCE FOR A ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE SURVEY: THE CASE OF AVELLA (ITALY)

Abstract. In the field of archaeological surveying, remote sensors and especially photogrammetric and laser scanner systems are widely used to create 3D models. The use of photogrammetric surveying with UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), combined with Computer Vision algorithms, allows the building of three-dimensional models, characterized by photo-realistic textures. The choice of which method to use mainly depends on the complexity of the investigated site, the accuracy requirements and the available budget and time. The different components of the UAV system determine its characteristics in terms of performance and accuracy, therefore define its quality and the cost too. This study presents an assessment of the accuracy of point clouds derived by two UAV systems, a commercial quadcopter (DJI Phantom 3 Professional), a professional assembled hexacopter, and by a TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanner) in order to compare photogrammetric and laser scanner data for archaeological applications. In this paper, we present a case study to compare and analyse the metric accuracy of the point clouds and the distribution of the GCPs (Ground Control Points). This accuracy assessment will serve to quantify the uncertainty in the absolute position of the GCPs, identified on the panoramic images in the absence of artificial targets. Executed experiments showed that in tested UAVs, the choice of the GCPs has significant impact on point cloud accuracy. Estimated absolute accuracy of point clouds collected during both test flights was better than 5 cm.

A Digital Photogrammetric Method to Enhance the Fabrication of Custom-Made Spinal Orthoses

ABSTRACT Introduction and Objectives Fabrication processes for spinal orthoses require accurate three-dimensional (3D) models of the patients' trunk. Current methods for 3D reconstruction used in this field mainly include laser or structured light scanning; these methods are time expensive and invasive, especially for patients with partial disabilities. Therefore, a theoretically instant system for data acquisition of anatomical structure is highly desirable. The objective of this work is to show the feasibility of using digital photogrammetry for human body digitization to generate accurate 3D models of the patients' trunk for spinal orthoses fabrication. Materials and Methods Multiple synchronized two-dimensional images of the human torso are captured from different points of view using a photogrammetric scanner. A 3D model is generated using the state-of-the-art algorithms for point cloud and surface reconstruction. The digitized model is then used as input for the standard computer-aided design (CAD)/computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) process of fabrication. R4D from Rodin4D is used as prosthetics and orthotics CAD software. A robotic cell constituted by a six-axis KUKA KR 30–3 is used for milling a polyurethane foam. Vacuum forming is then adopted to generate the orthosis. Two spinal orthoses are fabricated using this approach and a classical one; then, they are evaluated using quantitative and qualitative metrics. Results The data acquisition using this approach lasts 50 milliseconds. The 3D reconstruction accuracy averages 0.21 ± 1.27 mm, which suits for the considered health care scenario. Results of the initial fitting of the orthoses fabricated with the presented method show better performances in terms of time (44%), product quality (35%), and patient experience (30%). Conclusions Digital photogrammetry can be used to enhance the data acquisition and data processing of anatomical surfaces for the CAD/CAM process of spinal orthoses. The data acquisition time, almost instant, allows an easy compliance of many patients. The data processing allows generating accurate models of the patient's body. The overall process generates orthoses with a better quality with respect to those manufactured using conventional procedures.

Combining the Stock Unearthing Method and Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry for a Gapless Estimation of Soil Mobilisation in Vineyards

In vineyards, especially on steep slopes like the Ruwer-Mosel Valley, Germany, soil erosion is a well-known environmental problem. Unfortunately, some enterprises and farmers are not aware of how much soil is being lost and the long-term negative impacts of soil erosion. The non-invasive technique of the stock unearthing method (SUM) can be used for a quick assessment of soil erosion in vineyards. SUM uses the graft union as a reference elevation for soil surface changes since the time of plantation commencement, which is modelled with the help of a geographic information system. A shortcoming of SUM is that the areas between the pair-vine cross sections are not surveyed, hence it is not accurate enough to identify erosion hot-spots. A structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric technique is adopted to complement SUM to fill this data gap. Combining SUM (only measuring the graft unions) and SfM techniques could lead to an improved, easy and low-cost method with a higher accuracy for estimation of soil erosion based on interpolation by projection, and contact and gapless measuring. Thus, the main aim of this paper was to map the current soil surface level and to improve the accuracy of estimation of long-term soil mobilisation rates in vineyards. To achieve this goal, the TEPHOS (TErrestrial PHOtogrammetric Scanner), a static five camera array, was developed on a 20 m2 plot located in a steeply sloping vineyard of the Ruwer-Mosel Valley, Trier, Germany. A total soil mobilisation of 0.52 m3 (9.14 Mg ha yr−1) with soil surface level differences in excess of 30 cm in the 40 years since plantation commencement were recorded. Further research is, however, needed to reduce the number of photos used for the point cloud without loss of accuracy. This method can be useful for the observation of the impacts of other factors in vineyards, such as tillage erosion, runoff pathway detection or the trampling effect on soil erosion in vineyards.

An integrated multiscale approach for characterization of rock masses subjected to tunnel excavation

The design of tunnels must be conducted based on the knowledge of the territory. The longer the structure, the larger the area to be investigated, and the greater the number of surveys and tests to be performed in order to thoroughly examine all the relevant features. Therefore, optimization of the investigation process is strongly required to obtain complete and reliable data for the design of the infrastructure. The fast development of remote sensing technologies and the affordability of their products have contributed to proving their benefits as supports for investigation, encouraging the spreading of automatic or semi-automatic methods for regional scale surveys. Similarly, considering the scale of the rock outcrop, photogrammetric and laser scanner techniques are well-established techniques for representing geometrical features of rock masses, and the benefits of non-contact surveys in terms of safety and time consumption are acknowledged. Unfortunately, in most cases, data obtained at different scales of investigations are only partially integrated or compared, probably due to the missing exchange of knowledge among experts of different fields (e.g. geologists and geotechnical engineers). The authors, after experiencing such a lack of connection among the results of different surveys concerning tunnels, propose a multiscale approach for the optimization of the investigation process, starting from the regional scale, to obtain the data that can be useful not only for planning more detailed surveys in a preliminary phase, but also for making previsions on the discontinuity sets that are present in the rock masses subjected to excavations. A methodological process is proposed and illustrated by means of a case study. Preliminary results are discussed to highlight the potentiality of this method and its limitations.

Performance verification of a photogrammetric scanning system for micro-parts using a three-dimensional artifact: adjustment and calibration

Performance verification is a fundamental issue to assure the traceability of a measurement instrument. This issue is very important for non-contact 3D scanning systems, also for the limited number of existing standards. There are many factors affecting the process in a photogrammetric scanning system, and they have to be considered during a performance verification. In this context, it is crucial to completely define the camera model and its spatial locations and orientations during the scan, estimating the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. There are two main proposals in this paper. Firstly, authors investigated on how the reliability of the adjustment procedure could be improved, adopting a more complex geometry of the reference object, using a three-dimensional one instead of a bi-dimensional pattern of targets. Secondly, an approach to a calibration procedure for photogrammetric scanning system has been drawn up and applied, using the same artifact used for the adjustment. The ISO 15530-3 2011 standard was adopted for the uncertainty assessment of the results.

Photogrammetric measurements of 3D printed microfluidic devices

Additive manufacturing (AM) processes are being more frequently applied in several fields ranging from the industrial to the biomedical, in large part owing to their advantages which make them suitable for several applications such as scaffolds for tissue engineering, dental procedures, and 3D models to improve surgical planning. Moreover, these processes are particularly suited for the fabrication of microfluidic devices and labs-on-a-chip (LOC) designed to work with biological samples and chemical reaction mixtures.An aspect not sufficiently investigated is related to the dimensional verification of these devices. The main criticality is the texture-less surface that characterizes the AM products and strongly affects the effectiveness of most currently available 3D optical measuring instruments.In this study, a passive photogrammetric scanning system has been used as a non-destructive and low-cost technique for the reconstruction and measurement of 3D printed microfluidic devices. Four devices, manufactured with stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modelling (FDM) a Stratasys trademark, also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), and Polyjet have been reconstructed and measured, and the results have been compared to those obtained with optical profilometry that is considered as the gold standard.

MODERN PROCESSING CAPABILITIES OF ANALOG DATA FROM DOCUMENTATION OF THE GREAT OMAYYAD MOSQUE IN ALEPPO, SYRIA, DAMAGED IN CIVIL WAR

Abstract. In 1999, a big project for the documentation of the Great Omayyad mosque in Aleppo / Syria under UNESCO was conducted. By end of the last century, still analogue cameras were still being used, like the UMK Zeiss, RolleiMetric System. Digital cameras and digital automatic data processing were just starting to be on the rise and laser scanning was not relevant. In this situation, photogrammetrical measurement used stereo technology for complicated situations, and object and single-image technology for creating photoplans. Hundreds of photogrammetric images were taken. However, data processing was carried out on digital stereo plotters or workstations; it was necessary that all analogue photos were converted to digital form using a photogrammetric scanner. The outputs were adequate to the end of the last century. Nowadays, after 19 years, the photogrammetric materials still exist, but the technology and processing is completely different. Our original measurement is historical and nowadays quite obsolete. So we was it decided to explore the possibilities of the new processing of historical materials. Why? The reason is that in the last few years there has been civil war in Syria and the above mentioned monument was severely damaged. The existing historical materials therefore provide a unique opportunity for possible future reconstruction. This paper refers to the completion of existing materials, their evaluation and possibilities of new processing with today’s technologies.

3D Photogrammetric Reconstruction by Drone Scanning for FE Analysis and Crack Pattern Mapping of the “Bridge of the Towers”, Spoleto

Technological advances in the digital camera industry and computing resources make the use of photogrammetry a very fast, low-cost, contactless and non-destructive technique. It can represent a good alternative to obtain 3D information for monitoring and conservation of cultural heritage assets, especially where it is not possible to use 3D laser scanners and also in situations where areas to be inspected are not easily accessible [1]. Resolution generally depends on the number of images, their quality and the level of overlap between them, as well as hardware and software capabilities. Starting from 2D aerial or terrestrial photographic images, photogrammetry allows to reconstruct a 3D model in the form of a "point cloud" and also to derive accurate 3D measurements of large architectural elements.This paper is about stereo-photogrammetric scanning by drone performed by MENCI software s.r.l. aimed at the definition of the state of conservation of the “Bridge of the Towers” in Spoleto and its long term preservation without building scaffoldings. It was performed within the RoMA (Resilience enhancement of a Metropolitan Area) project, through an agreement between the “Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development” (ENEA) and the “Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities” (MIBACT).Photogrammetric scanning and FE modelling were applied within the project together with many other monitoring techniques in order to assess the bridge cracks pattern and its structural health by a multidisciplinary approach that allows their mutual validation [2].As one of the most important problems in the use of photogrammetric 3D reconstruction is the considerable demand in terms of hardware and software resources for images processing and data storage, thanks to the HPC (High Performance Computing) resources provided by the CRESCO infrastructure (Research Computational Centre on Complex Systems), it was possible to analyse and process a large amount of high-resolution photos in order to detect the crack pattern and to assess the actual damage state to be monitored over time [3].

Experimental investigation on camera calibration for 3D photogrammetric scanning of micro-features for micrometric resolution

Recently, it has been demonstrated that photogrammetry can be used for the measurement of small objects with micro-features, with good results and lower cost, compared to other established techniques such as interferometry, conoscopic holography, and 3D microscopy.

Identification of Rock Slope Discontinuity Sets from Laser Scanner and Photogrammetric Point Clouds: A Comparative Analysis

Discontinuities play a key role in the mechanical, hydraulic and deformational behaviour of rock masses, frequently having a considerable influence on the stability of rock slopes. They can be characterized by several geometric parameters as the orientation, persistence, spacing, etc. Although orientation has been traditionally measured through well-known techniques as a compass, more recent remote sensing techniques such as 3D laser scanning allow deriving both strike and dip direction of discontinuities. The novel SfM (Structure from Motion) technique, which is much less expensive than 3D laser scanning, is becoming mainstream within the research community. This paper examines the generation of 3D point clouds of a rock slope obtained from both, 3D laser scanning and SfM techniques, and their application to the extraction of the orientations of the main discontinuity sets. To this aim, a selected sector from a cretaceous sedimentary rock cut slope placed in Alicante (Spain) is analyzed using both photogrammetric and terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) point clouds. Using ground control points extracted from printed targets scanned by means of TLS provided very accurate coordinates. As a result of this, the obtained adjustment error was minor than 3 mm. The comparison of the resulting point clouds shows a good correlation when the surface is orthogonal to the line of sight. On the contrary, the SfM dataset showed inaccuracies on sub-horizontal and oblique surfaces. Finally, a geometrical analysis was performed by means of DSE software. Three discontinuity sets were extracted from both point clouds. However, one more was extracted from the TLS dataset, but not from the SfM dataset.

High Accuracy Photogrammetry of Historic Rock Art

The petroglyphs of Petroglyph Park, Peterborough, created by the Algonquin Peoples between 900 and 1400 A.D., were documented in 1983 by the Heritage Recording Directorate of theGovernment of Canada. With the aim of rerecording the glyphs again at a later date to monitor the conditions and weathering, several sets of photogrammetric stereo pairs were taken of the site using Zeiss UMK and a Wild P-31 film cameras. After this project was completed, the site became designated as sacred and photography was no longer permitted, thus rendering the completion of a second recording of the site all but impossible. Therefore, the photographs taken of these magnificent petroglyphs in the 1980s are the most recent documentation available. Using the ADAMTech Mine Mapping Suite, developed in Perth Australia for the mining industry, I was able to bring these archival photos to life by creating dense 3D models that rival those produced by LiDAR. I used the photos, digitized in Ottawa on a Wehri RM-6 photogrammetric scanner, to create 3D models of the glyphs. A similar Federal project from Writing on Stone National Park in Alberta also used film photogrammetry to record the glyphs at that site in 1982. From these images as well I was able to compile 3D models. It is hoped that by scanning the original glass-plate negatives from the 1980s, and not the film copies, as we have done thus far for both projects, measurement data of even greater accuracy (down to 60um) and density can be achieved.

A powerful scanning methodology for 3D measurements of small parts with complex surfaces and sub millimeter-sized features, based on close range photogrammetry

A powerful and cost effective photogrammetric scanning methodology, suitable for reconstructing a full 3D digital model of parts with complex surfaces and sub millimeter-sized features, is described. The scanner employed for this purpose is composed of a computerized system that drives and control the movements of a rotary table, and a digital SLR camera for the images acquisition. The object is positioned on the rotary table that rotates at fixed angles, while the digital camera, mounted on the stator through a rigid frame, captures the images. The scanning process has been optimized with the aim to minimize the number of shots and thus, the time needed to obtain a complete 3D digital model, which is not dependent from the dimensions of the object. With the aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scanning methodology, four benchmarks have been realized to provide complex examples. The 3D digital models were compared with those obtained with an Optimet™ Conoscan 4000 which uses a conoscopic holographic sensor.