Technology Solutions

We have a fleet of fixed-wing and multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the purposes of low-altitude aerial mapping. Tackling the most challenging terrain with ease, our UAVs produce survey-grade maps, elevation models, and 3D reconstructions at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.

Aerial mapping is particularly useful in areas where we need to treat cultural and/or biological resources with care and where terrain is inaccessible.

Individual objects from project or museum collections can be quickly modeled for digital preservation and 3D replica printing. For project sites under threat from looting or other kinds of destruction, 3D modeling provides a precise digital record to assess the condition of a resource and, if necessary, to even reconstruct it in the future.

GIS captures spatial information about a specific location and identifies entities and locates features. Using this data, our team is able to create highly accurate maps that are far superior to hand-drawn ones.

Many of our projects require us to photograph artifacts and their features as part of the preservation process. Gathered in the field or under controlled lab settings, our high-resolution images are used alongside sophisticated laser scanning devices to build 3D models of artifacts in incredible detail. Our team draws upon 3D applications and enhanced visualization tools, both crucial to maintaining cultural resources, to ensure that objects recovered from a project are preserved correctly.

This service can take many forms, depending on what your project requires: interactive 3D models hosted locally or on a mobile device; video flythroughs of 3D environments; interactive PDF documents with live frames that permit touring of a site; immersive environments using a screen-based interface or goggles; or, in-field augmentation of reality with cultural elements. The applications really are endless.

The mapping of features in the field is usually a time-consuming process. This is especially true when tackling complex stone features, bone beds, rock art panels, and other features where highly accurate measurements are essential. Chronicle Heritage uses photogrammetry to expedite this process in the field, with enhanced feature mapping to analyze features and produce detailed, full-scale 3D models. Outside the field, these models are utilized to calculate measurements of features, like bone lengths and robusticity, sciatic notch size, and more.

LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is a remote sensing method that uses near-infrared, visible light, or ultraviolet light to measure the distance between an object and a sensor. Our team regularly uses technology solutions like this to produce models of cultural resources, site maps, historic trail maps, and to identify features not visible from the ground.

This technology can also act as a mitigation measure; in one example, story maps were recommended by the Florida and Georgia State Historic Preservation Offices instead of HABS documentation.

Both these tools offer remote access and enhance interpretive learning while documenting and preserving the resource.