3D Modelling of the Castle Neu-Wildon: Applying Drone-Based Photogrammetry, Terrestrial Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning – a Comparative Study

Different reality capturing techniques are available for every price segment nowadays, from quick and easy solutions up to highly accurate surveying gear for detailed 3D documentation. However, every technique beholds its advantages and disadvantages and the performance varies through use-cases at different scales. In 2021, at the castle of Neu-Wildon, terrestrial and drone-based photogrammetry as well as terrestrial laser scanning have been applied by geodetic experts for documentation purposes. The different data sets have been used to perform a comparative study for building research. The paper discusses on the one hand the benefit of the highly accurate 3D point data from the Leica RTC360 and on the other hand the good feature resolution of the Nikon D800 SLR images. Due to the removal of the vegetation for extended conservation work, also a drone mission with a DJI Phantom 4 was performed and evaluated. Additionally, the usability of the 3D data sets for building research is demonstrated at the example of the virtual reconstruction of the site. The walls and floors have been modelled in 3D and checked for feasibility with virtual reality gear. The result is a visualisation of the current working-hypotheses for the appearance of the castle Neu-Wildon at the end of the 16th century.