BALOON PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS 
Vassilis Fotinopoulos 
Topotech Surveys, GREECE, email: vf@topotech.gr, phone: +30 6944666794 
www.topotech.gr 
Commission WG V/4 
KEY WORDS: Archaeology, Greek Heritage, Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV, Remote Piloted Vehicle RPV B 
alloon, Research, 
Virtual Reality Models, Monitoring, High Resolution Observation Systems, Small Platforms, Mobile Mapping 
Navigation, Digital Sensors, Integration 
ABSTRACT: 
A special platform has been recently constructed from Topotech Surveys, GREECE (www.topotech.gr) as a Recording Method for 
Monuments. This photogrammetric bundle performs mini aerial photogrammetric acquisition over Archaeological Monuments with 
high accuracy and image analysis. This type of mini-aerial-photogrammetry was proved to be valuable in excavations, site recording 
and monument conservation. Five case studies and two future plans are discussed. The construction of a large Unmanned Air 
Vehicle is also discussed here. 
1. INTRODUCTION 
1.1 Overview 
This special platform was mainly constructed from Topotech 
Surveys, GREECE (www.topotech.gr)for the recording of the 
Greek Culture Heritage. The result of this work was very 
promising. Topotech future plans include the full integration 
and implementation of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle that will 
do the full 3D recording of the monument. Five case studies 
and two future plans are discussed in this paper. The author 
emphasizes that his research work presented in this paper was 
fully privately funded, and no public, or governmental 
organisation contributed by any economical means in the 
progress of his work. 
  
    
4 5 m" 1 ^ 2545 3 
Image 1: Topotech's Aerial Platforms 
1.2 History of Topotech 
Topotech was the first in 1996 to use a patented Reflector less 
Laser Total Station in Greece for the recording of the 
monuments. That was the first in-house development for the 
recording of the Greek monuments. 
  
Image 2: First integration-development of GTS 211 D 
REFLECTORLESS total station with Disto laser in 1996. 
The large experience gained in Greek archaeological surveys 
realised that the top of a monument or an excavation is usually 
inaccessible by land surveyors. For example, ancient walls were 
constructed as a hostile environment in order to avoid warriors 
to overpass them. Special equipment is therefore necessary for 
the lonely surveyor in order to record the top of the monument. 
Moreover the required type and level of detail needed for the 
production of a diagram on top of the monument makes 
photogrammetry an ideal application to record it as a diagram 
or orthophoto-mosaic. 
   
  
    
   
    
   
   
    
    
   
     
    
    
    
     
   
  
  
  
  
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
    
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