Seeing into the past: creating a 3D modeling pipeline for archaeological visualization

Archaeology is a destructive process in which accurate and detailed recording of a site is imperative. As a site is exposed, documentation is required in order to recreate and understand the site in context. We have developed a 3D modeling pipeline that can assist archaeologists in the documentation effort by building rich, geometrically and photometrically accurate 3D models of the site. The modeling effort begins with data acquisition (images, range scans, GIS data, and video) and ends with the use of a sophisticated visualization tool that can be used by researchers to explore and understand the site. The pipeline includes new methods for shadow-based registration of 2D images and temporal change detection. Our multimodal augmented reality system allows users wearing head-tracked, see-through, head-worn displays to visualize the site model and associated archaeological artifacts, and to interact with them using speech and gesture.