RICERCA ITALIANA     

Research program

Integrated Methodologies for the Survey, Drawing, Modelling of Urban and Architectural Environment.

University Co-ordinator

Università degli Studi di ROMA "La Sapienza" - RILIEVO,ANALISI E DISEGNO DELL'AMBIENTE E DELL'ARCHITETTURA (RADAAR) - ()

Research Unit Leader

Mario Docci

Description

As we have been illustrating in previous paragraphs, the present project pursues at least two principal aims:
- on one side to develop and test on real study cases all new opportunities offered by the innovative survey (3D Scanning, georadar, etc.) and modelling technologies also defining operative protocols and data integration methods always applied to documentation and analysis of architectural and urban environment.

- on the other side defining a methodology aiming at integrating an comparing not only the information acquired within the same time period even with different techniques (3D scans, instrumental, photogrammetric, direct surveys, etc.), but also that coming from previous campaigns (even very far in time) up to the original design.

Both tasks are again dealing with the “Model” concept, that is with the set of operations that lead to the discreetization of architectural and urban complexity according to variable parameters. Graphic representations on different supports (graphic models) of our deep and recent past as well as the most advanced ones (by now commonly stored in a digital form on CDs or DVDs), actually appear to be homogeneous from this particular point of view and only await for an “unification” procedure.

The activities of this Unit will follow three major guidelines:
1. A scientific and technological task (six months long), aiming at developing innovative procedures both for construction and manipulation of 3D Models coming from 3D scans or other acquisition techniques (both at architectural and urban scale) as well as for setting up protocols in order to “digitalize” non-digital documents (traditional surveys, designs, drawings, etc.).
This task’s activities will focus on testing, optimisation and technical-operational improvement of some equipments so to make them more compatible with specific documentation and analysis needs of architectural and urban patrimony. In this frame all research activities will embrace a large number of equipments for survey and geo-referencing as well as for modelling, digitizing and 3D Browsing.

2. A strictly methodological task (six months long) aiming at focusing and developing new methodologies and utilisation fields for acquisition and reproduction techniques: as a result, suitable operational protocols as well as new usage hypothesis well be defined.
This phase, that would imply a number of operational tests, will focus on:
- 3D Virtual Model features construction and control
- Predictive study of surface characteristics
- Geometric information integration testing compatibilities with Multidimensional Databases .
- Comparative integration between digital and non-digital information
- Knowledge/Dissemination through the testing of new 3D Browsing systems for interactive Internet exploration of 3D models (3d Browsing, immersive systems, etc.).

3. An applicative task, finally, thoroughly developed during the second year of the research, in which some procedures set during previous activities will be tested and confirmed by operational experimentation on real study cases. In this frame we plan to carry on the work we have been starting in 2005 on S. Pietro Basilica and principally on Michelangelo’s Cupola: completing the 3D scanning survey, all topographic, photogrammetric and direct investigations; building a general 3D Model; integrating this Model with different data coming from other analysis (georadar, termography, etc.).
Together with this “on site” phase, an historical and documental research will try to reconstruct the rich sequence of interventions on the Cupola as well as the original project. Finally, a comparison will be made between archive and survey data.

This UR, besides a project general coordination activity, will the deal with all activities concerning:
• data acquisition, procedures and technological equipments optimisation;
• innovative solution implementation during the 3D Virtual Models construction;
• Multidimensional databases compatibility.
• Integration and comparison between digital and non-digital information.
• Realisation of prototypes for 3D Browsing and immersive exploration.

During the project all activities will be carried on, within the general framework, both referring to ongoing strategic researches(as for single buildings: Colosseo, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, S. Pietro in Vaticano, ancient Mediterranean theatres; as for urban contexts: portions of the city of Rome) and converging to the chosen study cases