Low-cost 3d acquisition of geometric data for living heritage: Attempting to record the Pudhu Mandapam, Madurai

The driving forces behind the rapid development of accessible 3d modelling acquisition are generally economic. As the requirements for on-site data acquisition technology become cheaper and more user friendly, opportunities for the geographic dislocation of expertise become more viable. In effect, much of the diagnosis of a monuments’ morphology or condition can be made remotely, as a virtual model is constructed. This potential portability serves to reduce the impact, invasiveness and cost of survey and documentation processes. In cases of contested heritage conservation practices, the simple act of photographic recording can cause concern. However, photogrammetric recording is eminently advantageous for its capacity to provide non-destructive means to consider degradation and condition mapping as well as to record and monitor change over time. Here, two rapid surveys taken with portable 360° cameras a year apart, demonstrate the potential value and limitations of deploying recent techniques in order to deliver credible or useful survey data in a highly complex pillared hall that is intensively occupied.