Comparison between techniques for generating 3D models of cultural heritage

In recent years 3D digitizing and modeling of cultural heritage has become increasingly common. This is due mainly to advances in laser-scanning techniques, to modeling techniques based on images, to increasing the computing power and to virtual reality. In this work we compared consolidated operating mode of the laser scanner with the techniques of image capture and generation of 3D models based on photographs made with ordinary digital cameras. Through the help of special software exploiting appropriate photogrammetric techniques and algorithms defined in "Structure from Motion" (SfM) we can get reconstructions and high-resolution DEMs (Digital Elevation Model) of high quality. Object of study is a masonry tower dating back to the fifteenth and sixteenth century located in the south of Italy (Marina di Gioiosa Jonica, Reggio Calabria).