Crowd-sourcing the 3D digital reconstructions of lost cultural heritage

Abstract

Crowd-sourced photogrammetric reconstructions offer a unique opportunity for the digital visualisation of lost heritage. Project Mosul is a project that seeks to digitally reconstruct lost heritage, whether through war, conflict, natural disaster or other means, and preserve the memory of that heritage through digital preservation schemes. The project is not without its challenges, however. For example, geometric fidelity is impossible to determine, maintaining community interest, while returning some value to the research community. That being said, textured 3D models can still be a valuable source for visualization, memory and documentation.