Gabriella Caroti

• PhD
• Full Professor at University of Pisa

In military architecture, the city wall between towers or bastions have architectural-structural characteristics related to the defensive and offensive systems used. Such systems are boundaries of fortified cities at urban scale and differ in shape and size, structure, style, layering of techniques, and territorial relationship to the city. These d...

This paper examines the current and crucial issue of the digitisation of Cultural heritage as it is applied to the archaeological field. It addresses the difficulties of managing and handling big data from archaeological parks that require software, dedicated systems and specific skills, which often result in the transition to digital being perceiv...

This research aims to assess the adaptability of Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) for the digital documentation of cultural heritage objects of varying size and complexity. We discuss the influence of object size, desired scale of representation, and level of detail on the choice to use NeRF for cultural heritage documentation, providing insights for...

This paper conducts a comparative evaluation between Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) and photogrammetry for 3D reconstruction in the cultural heritage domain. Focusing on three case studies, of which the Terpsichore statue serves as a pilot case, the research assesses the quality, consistency, and efficiency of both methods. The results indicate that...

While Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) are gaining increasing interest in various domains as innovative methods for novel view synthesis and image-based reconstruction, their potential application in the realm of Cultural Heritage remains unexplored. Purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of applying NeRF to sets of images of digital her...

This work describes a semi automatic workflow for the 3D reconstruction of Heritage Building Information Models from raw point clouds, based on Artificial Intelligence techniques. The BIM technology applied to historical architecture has made it possible to create a virtual repository of many heterogeneous pieces of information in order to make the...

The paper presents the preliminary results of the application of automatic classification techniques, using Artificial Intelligence, to the interpretation of the survey data of some important sections of the walls of Pisa, in order to identify the distinctive features that have characterized the evolution of lithotypes over time. A supervised Machi...

Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF or NeRFs) are to date emerging as a novel method for synthesizing novel views of complex 3D scenes, leveraging an artificial neural network to optimize a volumetric scene function using a set of input views. We conduct a preliminary critical review of the scientific and technical literature on NeRFs, and we highlight po...

In Tuscany, the art of paving has never been codified in written form, being already encapsulated in knowledge based on practical experience, with specialized tradesmen and stonemasons relying on direct observation and passing on their knowledge to apprentices through repetition of gestures. The streets of Volterra, a historic town in Tuscany, are...

Today, digital tools represent a privileged means of describing and understanding of cultural heritage. However, existing hybrid methods for semantic annotation on digital models are mostly manual and require considerable human intervention. This may cause data dispersion or data alteration issues, preventing the digital collection of multidiscipli...

The reconstruction of 3D geometries starting from reality-based data is challenging and time-consuming due to the difficulties involved in modeling existing structures and the complex nature of built heritage. This paper presents a methodological approach for the automated segmentation and classification of surveying outputs to improve the interpr...

We propose a semi-automatic Scan-to-BIM reconstruction approach, making the most of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, for the classification of digital architectural heritage data. Nowadays, Heritage- or Historic-Building Information Modeling (H-BIM) reconstruction from laser scanning or photogrammetric surveys is a manual, time-consuming, o...

Starting from the virtual photogrammetric 3D reconstruction, this work proposes a classification method, based on Artificial Intelligence, allowing to semi-automatically characterize the digital models of existing architectural heritage in terms of material mapping and/or decay condition. The obtained data, once classified, is used and transferred...

External acts of interference towards industrial facilities have become a matter of increasing concern in recent years, especially in areas such as North Africa, where severe attacks to process facilities demonstrated the critical interface among integrated safety & security (ISS) aspects. The present work addressed this ISS concern and aimed at de...

Research activities in the field of bituminous aggregates composition for roadway paving (asphalt) often require 2- and 3-D geometric measurements. In some cases, these can provide support in studying aggregate arrangement within bituminous matrices subjected to stress and evaluating 3D trends in the tyre/road contact interface. The current job inv...

ITA L'applicazione dell'Intelligenza Artificiale (IA) ai beni architettonici introduce promettenti evoluzioni nel settore del Disegno: tecniche più automatizzate di segmentazione semantica possono essere estese al modello digitale e numerico per l'interpretazione dei dati di rilievo e per la conseguente ricostruzione di rappresentazioni 3D concettu...

Cultural heritage information systems, such as H-BIM, are becoming more and more widespread today, thanks to their potential to bring together, around a 3D representation, the wealth of knowledge related to a given object of study. However, the reconstruction of such tools starting from 3D architectural surveying is still largely deemed as a length...

Cultural heritage studies often require the analysis of buildings that have undergone several changes and alterations during their lifetime. This often implies the loss of architectural elements or the construction of new elements, which both change the characteristics of the former buildings. The recovery of lost elements or structures through vir...

The digitization of Cultural Heritage paves the way for new approaches to surveying and restitution of historical sites. With a view to the management of integrated programs of documentation and conservation, the research is now focusing on the creation of information systems where to link the digital representation of a building to semantic knowle...

This work presents a semi-automatic approach to the 3D reconstruction of Heritage-Building Information Models from point clouds based on machine learning techniques. The use of digital information systems leveraging on three-dimensional (3D) representations in architectural heritage documentation and analysis is ever increasing. For the creation of...

This contribution proposes a methodological approach for the transfer of annotations between orthophotos and 3D digital heritage models, relying on a mesh-based/point-based representation. The workflow leverages on the exploitation of 2D/3D projective relations and on the identification, propagation, modelling and tiling of virtual models of archit...

The “Divina!” project stems from the collaboration with the Tuscany Regional Council to celebrate the Supreme Poet and his opus in the seven hundredth anniversary of his death. The project conceived and implemented a contemporary statuary installation that exploits the Divina commedia to prompt viewers to a technological meditation on the importanc...

In the last decades, surveying methodologies related to Geomatics applications in the Cultural Heritage field have undergone a constant evolution. The first innovation has surely been the development, in the 1990s, of laser scanning systems. These are able to survey the coordinates of millions of points of architectural objects with sub-centimeter...

Research in the field of Cultural Heritage is increasingly moving towards the creation of digital information systems, in which the geometric representation of an artifact is linked to some external information, through meaningful tags. The process of attributing additional and structured information to various elements in a given digital model is...

Cultural Heritage studies often require to perform analyses on buildings which have undergone several changes and alterations during their lifetime. This often implies loss of architectural elements or construction of new elements, in turn disrupting the perception of the former buildings. The recovery of lost elements or structures through virtual...

Purpose of this paper is to illustrate the contribution of geomatics studies in management and protection of Cultural Heritage assets. Architectural surveys, carried out by integrating traditional survey techniques with more innovative instruments, are fundamental to guide the different actors involved in conservation and restoration processes, as...

Purpose of this paper is to illustrate the contribution of geomatics studies in management and protection of Cultural Heritage assets. Architectural surveys, carried out by integrating traditional survey techniques with more innovative instruments, are fundamental to guide the different actors involved in conservation and restoration processes, as...

The paper addresses the quality issues concerning the logistic processes carried out by air cargo handlers and proposes a methodology that allows assessing the performances resulting from different RFID implementation set-ups within an air cargo handler’s warehouse. The performances have been assessed in terms of benefits related to the informatiza...

"The paper concerns the logistics activities related to perishable products. Perishable products are delivered from the production site to a warehouse by refrigerated truck. Perishable products are accepted or not at the warehouse entrance, according to their detected quality levels; if accepted, they are stored in the warehouse in suitable environ...

Purpose of this paper is to compare different methods for the assessment of earthquake-induced damage on buildings based on survey data, referring to the case study of Castelluccio di Norcia. The seismic events that occurred in Central Italy in 2016 threatened the future of many villages located along the Apennine ridge straddling the Regions of Um...

In the last decade, in the field of conservation of historic buildings, several research projects have shown the potential of applying BIM technology to architectural heritage. However, the use of BIM for historic buildings (HBIM) is still evolving. This paper presents an application of Building Information Modelling targeted to the development of...

Cultural heritage includes several cases of missing architectural element or entire buildings, due to destruction, replacement or radical changes caused over time by other structures. The investigation of these lost elements aimed at their virtual reconstruction, for both scientific and cultural-leisure applications, is therefore a topic of great i...

The paper offers a reflection on current methodologies for 3-D surveying aimed at the generation of geometrically consistent models provided with realistic textures for fruition in virtual reality environments. In particular, the possible use of these tools is discussed for both technical-scientific applications and devising virtual immersive exper...

The present contribution aims at illustrating the results obtained so far by the multidisciplinary research group working at the University of Pisa on the currently going-on study of the mechanical response and load capacity of the dome of Pisa Cathedral. As is well known, structural modelling requires the reliable definition of the actual dome’s s...

This paper presents an original methodology for planar development of a frescoed dome with an oval plan. Input data include a rigorous geometric survey, performed with a laser scanner, and a photogrammetry campaign, which associates a high-quality photographic texture to the 3D model. Therefore, the main topics include the development of geometry a...

UAV systems, fitted with either active or passive surveying sensors, can provide land-related measures and quantitative information with low costs and high resolution in both space and time. Such surveying systems can be quite valuable in defining geometrical and descriptive parameters in coastal systems, especially dune ecosystems. The present wor...

Since the 1990s, with the availability of satellite positioning techniques, enabling to determine three-dimensional point coordinates in a global reference system with topographic accuracy, several applications dedicated to mapping of the territory by means of mobile geo-referenced sensors have steadily been developed. This paper discusses the expe...

UAV systems can provide coastal environment surveys with low costs and high resolution. The present work focuses on how UAV-borne surveys can provide useful information in assessing coastal resilience. Processing of survey data generates a Digital Surface Model (DSM) and an orthophotograph, checked for accuracy and image resolution. Comparison of t...

Over the last years, the area of conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage has benefited from new surveying methodologies. In particular, laser scanners and the latest evolutions in digital photogrammetry and processing software based on structure from motion and multi-view stereo algorithms allowed to achieve 3D models of the status quo wh...

Management of disaster scenarios requires applying emergency procedures ensuring maximum safety and protection for field operators. Actual conditions of disaster sites are labelled as "Triple-D: Dull, Dusty, Dangerous" areas. It is well known that in this kind of areas and situations remote surveying systems are at their very best effective, and am...

Over the last decade, we have seen the widespread use of digital survey technologies that have made the three-dimensional (3D) metric survey within reach of all. In the past, lengthy training was needed to use total stations and classical photogrammetry. Today, laser scanning and “new photogrammetry” allow operators with little training to produce...

The integration of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Structure from Motion and MultiView Stereo techniques allows to obtain comprehensive models of complex objects by using each technique in contexts presenting the optimal operating conditions, as widely reported in bibliographic references. A different situation occurs for emergency surveys. In...

Fire Departments feature specialized teams for Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) activities, operating in case of disasters and in collapse contexts, where the actual situation no longer coincides with any previous survey. In this context, current UAV-borne photogrammetry may offer very effective methods, enabling achievement of to-date knowledge of t...

The historical architectural heritage may be considered as the product of a complex system of interaction between several factors - cultural, socio-economic, technical, aesthetic etc. The restoration and conservation of this important heritage, therefore, requires necessarily a multidisciplinary approach, both in the preliminary phase of knowledge...

This paper aims to illustrate the preliminary results of a research project on the dome of Pisa Cathedral (Italy). The final objective of the present research is to achieve a deep understanding of the structural behaviour of the dome, through a detailed knowledge of its geometry and constituent materials, and by taking into account historical and a...

Territorial management requires the most possible up-to-date mapping support of the status quo. Regional scale cartography update cycle is in the medium term (10 to 15 years): therefore, in the intervening time between updates relevant Authorities must provide timely updates for new works or territorial changes. Required surveys can exploit several...

RIASSUNTO Il lavoro riassume i risultati ottenuti da diversi partecipanti alla sessione “benchmark” - uso di immagini UAV per la ricostruzione 3D: esperienze condivise tra utenti, svoltasi nell’ambito del 61° convegno nazionale SIFET (Lecce 8-10 giugno 2016). L’iniziativa ha previsto l’elaborazione di un dataset comune, rappresentato da immagini ac...

Sometimes it is difficult to represent “on paper" the existing reality of architectonic elements, depending on the complexity of his geometry, but not only in cases with complex geometries: non-relief surfaces, can need a “special planar format” for its graphical representation. Nowadays, there are a lot of methods to obtain tridimensional recover...

Sometimes it is difficult to represent “on paper" the existing reality of architectonic elements, depending on the complexity of his geometry, but not only in cases with complex geometries: non-relief surfaces, can need a “special planar format” for its graphical representation. Nowadays, there are a lot of methods to obtain tridimensional recove...

In the field of documentation and preservation of cultural heritage, there is keen interest in 3D metric viewing and rendering of architecture for both formal appearance and color. On the other hand, operative steps of restoration interventions still require full-scale, 2D metric surface representations. The transition from 3D to 2D representation,...

The recent technological advancements in the field of digital photogrammetry together with the improvement of computational methods for image analysis have been show to aid laser technologies in architectural measurements, yielding high-resolution surveys of unprecedented resolution. In theory (and in many real applications) an integrated survey co...

The survey of the Etruscan Porta all’Arco in Volterra was performed in 1996 with traditional direct methodology. In 2014, a new survey of the same monument has been done again with laser scanner and Structure From Motion techniques. The comparison between these two survey experiences gave cause for wider considerations. It’s different the ratio of...

Current methodologies used in architectural surveys allow to obtain 3-D models featuring high precision for geometry and shape and good quality for chromatic data. Several researches are available in bibliography, showing how easily high-precision models, with high-quality photorealistic textures, can be obtained by using and combining laser scanni...

The evolution of Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques and their integration with the established procedures of classic stereoscopic photogrammetric survey have provided a very effective tool for the production of three-dimensional textured models. Such models are not only aesthetically pleasing but can also contain metric information, the quality...

In the restoration of the frescoed vaults it is not only important to know the geometric shape of the painted surface, but it is essential to document its chromatic characterization and conservation status. The new techniques of range-based and image-based modelling, each with its limitations and advantages, offer a wide range of methods to obtain...

The strip of dunes on the coast of Pisa is home to a major aquifer which helps to limit the intrusion of sea water, thus preventing its spread inland. In the last decade, due to a decrease in meteoric precipitation as well as the reckless increase in the exploitation of surface water resources, this barrier has been significantly reduced, with subs...

The new survey tools used in studies aimed to preserving architectural heritage often show some dilemmas. Several studies have been able to confirm that laser scanner surveys allow to obtain three-dimensional models of high accuracy in morphology and topological level. However, nowadays the quality level of colour obtained with laser scanners is no...

sta sviluppando, nell'ambito del progetto PRIN2010 diversi sistemi di rilievo fotogrammetrico da velivoli senza pilota. In particolare, in collaborazione con la ditta CAM (Costruzioni Aero Meccaniche) di Pisa, ha testato su aerei e multi rotori due sistemi di autopilota e stabilizzazione dei velivoli: l'Ardupilot e il WooKong. Per effettuare un cor...

In coastal plains, such as that of Pisa, with particular reference to groundwater, the marine intrusion phenomenon occurs not only through the freshwater/saltwater interface in the aquifer along the shore line, but also by the rise of the salt wedge in water courses, in case they are in hydraulic connection with the aquifer itself. The depth of the...

The work stems from a joint study between the Laboratory ASTRO (Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering-University of Pisa), the municipality of Pisa and the province of Arezzo on the advanced analysis and use of digital elevation data. Besides, it is framed in the research carried on by ASTRO about the definition of the priority informative...

The work stems from a joint study between the Laboratory ASTRO (Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering-University of Pisa), the municipality of Pisa and the province of Arezzo on the advanced analysis and use of digital elevation data. Besides, it is framed in the research carried on by ASTRO about the definition of the priority informative...

The Topography and Photogrammetry section of the Department of Civil Engineering, Pisa University, Italy, in cooperation with the Geonetlab Research Centre of Trieste University, is developing several methods for the evaluation of road cross-slope. The measurements are performed by means of instrumentation integrated on the Mobile Mapping Systems v...

Rules for the accomplishment of European Directive IN-SPIRE, about standardization of spatial data infrastructures in Europe, are currently being defined. The present paper presents a survey of the main directions of both INSPIRE and national regulations receiv- ing its indications, with regards to the creation of the topographic database for tra...

Modelli digitali del terreno: tecnologie di acquisizione, caratteristiche e accuratezze Prof. ssa Maria Brovelli, Politecnico di Milano Piano Straordinario di Telerilevamento Ambientale (PST-A): aspetti generali e problematiche della generazione ed uso di DTM Dr. Salvatore Costabile, Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare...

The aim of this paper is to report the laser scanner survey of a roman archaeological site located in Trieste, Italy. The excavation of these archaeological finds was realised by “Soprintendenza per I Beni Ambientali, Architettonici, Archeologici, Artistici e Storici” of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in the framework of the European Community Projec...

The Inter-Link project "Progetto pilota per la conoscenza, conservazione e valorizzazione della Kalà (cittadella) di Elbasan – Albania", relating to the 2004-2006 triennium and co-ordinated by Prof. Roberto Pierini, aims at the study of the Elbasan fortified citadel, the Kalà, in order to preserve, restore and exploit this all-important heritage of...

The present paper describes both a high-resolution survey of the facade of the Monumental Cemetery in Piazza del Duomo (Pisa, Italy) was realised. It's performed via the Riegl LMS Z420i laser scanner available at the Department of Civil Engineering (DCE), seat of Topography and Photogrammetry, and a photogrammetric survey of the main entrance porta...

is developing several methods in order to evaluate road's cross slope. This measure is performed by use of instrumentation integrated on MMS vehicle GIGI One. In particular two different approaches are followed. The first one preview using of low cost monoaxial laser scanner IBEO Automotive LD GmbH, synchronized with Applanix POS LV system. With th...

Performing road's survey with a MMS vehicle a georeferenced database is created. This database contain several data: road's axis, road's width, tangent grade and cross slope, curvature, vertical and horizontal signs, etc. This paper will present GIS building methodology starting from MMS collected datasets. The data, as requested by Italian road's...