Figure 2: The Internet data set (A, B, C and D) used for the 3-D reconstruction. 
Changed details between the images (E/F and G/H). 
  
  
Figure 3: The three metric images acquired in Bamiyan in 1970 by Prof. Kostka (A, B, C) 
and the acquisition geometry (D). 
The distribution of the control points on the statue, measured on the contour plot of Prof. Kostka (E). 
The main problems of these images are their differences in size 
and scale, the unknown pixel size and camera constant and 
most of all the different times of acquisition; therefore some 
parts visible in one image are missing in others (Figure 2 - E, F, 
G, H). Also the illumination conditions are very different and 
this can create problems with automatic matching procedure. 
The metric images were acquired in August 1970 with a TAF 
camera [Finsterwalder and Hofmann, 1968]. The TAF 
(Terrestrische Ausrüstung Finsterwalder) is a photo-theodolit 
camera (Figure 4) that acquires photos on 13x18 cm glass 
plates. Two fiducials marks are present on the longer sides of 
the photos while a moving pointer signs the horizon with an 
index that moves vertically. The original photos were scanned 
by Vexcel Imaging Inc with the ULTRA SCAN 5000 at a 
resolution of 10 micron. The resulting digitized images resulted 
in 16930 x 12700 pixels each (Figure 3 - A, B, C). A contour 
plot of the big statue, done by Prof. Kostka [Kostka, 1974], is 
also available (20 cm isolines, scale 1:100). From this plot 
some control points could be measured and used for the 
orientation process. 
2.1 Interior orientation 
2.1.1 Internet images 
For every image, the pixel size and a focal length are assumed, 
as well as the principal point, fixed in the middle of the images. 
With this last assumption, we consider the size of the found 
images as the original dimension of the photo, while they could 
be just a part of an originally larger image. The assumed pixel 
sizes are between 0.03 mm and 0.05 mm. 
2.1.2 Metric images 
In all TAF images the principal point is defined as the 
intersection of the straight line joining the two fiducials marks 
on the upper and lower side of the image and the horizontal line 
passing through the horizontal index defined on the right side of 
the image (Figure 4). The focal length of the camera is 160.29 
mm [Kostka, 1974]. 
  
  
  
  
- 
o. 
» e TT 
œ 
upper fiducial mark 
  
moving 
a a < vertical 
index 
\ 
i | 
I | 
lower fiducial mark 
  
  
  
  
Figure 4: The TAF camera (left) and 
the interior orientation of the images (right) 
2.2 Exterior orientation 
2.2.1 Internet images 
As no other information is available, we first performed an 
interactive determination of the camera positions, varying also 
the value of the focal length and using some control points 
measured on the contour plot of Prof. Kostka. Then we refined 
these approximations with a single photo spatial resection 
solution. 
2.2.2 Metric images 
In [Kostka, 1974] the acquisition procedure is described (Figure 
3-D). The images were acquired in normal case, with a double 
baseline and a distance of ca 130-150 m from the statue. Using 
this information and some control points measured on the 
contour plot we achieved the first approximations of the 
exterior orientation. 
2.3 Bundle adjustments 
The final orientation of both data sets was achieved using 
bundle adjustments and the control points measured on the 
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