Digital Archiving: Japan Uses Drones to Map and Recreate Historical Landmarks in 3D

This article published in collaboration with JUIDA, the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association.

Protecting history: Japan will use drones to create digital twins of Japanese historical landmarks.

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb

The Hiro Holdings Group, based out of Nara, Japan, has recently announced a partnership with Wise Planning Co. Ltd which will see the use of drones to map and recreate Japanese historical landmarks in 3D. Digital archiving, where digital scans of historical objects are kept as a method of preservation, is becoming an increasingly important tool for archeologists and historians worldwide, especially as over-crowding or over-handling can cause irreversible damage to delicate, ancient environments and artifacts. On top of this, many of Japan’s most important ancient buildings are made of wood, and are highly vulnerable to fire damage or erosion, making digital preservation uniquely important on the island.

Hiro and Wise plan on using drone-based photogrammetry to create detailed 3D models of buildings, along with smaller camera rigs designed to create a repository of smaller objects (such as those found inside museums). Using LiDAR-equipped 360-degree cameras, Hiro’s new digital preservation firm’s UAVs can create extremely accurate point-cloud models of landmarks and cultural properties which will allow researchers and tourists access to extremely accurate recreations of both the interiors and exteriors of historical buildings no matter where they might be.

Operating their own flights and handling all the video editing and processing themselves, Hiro Holdings and Wise Planning hope to create a new kind of digital artifact that can have an impact both in Japan (protecting delicate historical environments and ensuring research can be completed without further risk) and abroad. This represents an important step forward for Japanese businesses in the UAV industry, as more corporations find ways to integrate drones into their existing workflows to create exciting new projects like this one, which combines an existing 3D modelling business with UAVs to protect priceless cultural resources.

More is available from their website here (in Japanese).

Read more:

• Indoor Inspections, Concrete Repair Spray, and More: Japan Drone and International Advanced Air Mobility EXPO
• Inspecting Wind Turbines Without Stopping Them: Japanese Company Demos Drone Technology
• Japan’s SkyDrive Will Leverage Suzuki’s Manufacturing to Build eVTOL Aircraft
• A Model of Korea: the Ambitious Project to Make a Digital Twin of a Country

Ian McNabb is a staff writer based in Boston, MA. His interests include geopolitics, emerging technologies, environmental sustainability, and Boston College sports.