HYDERABAD: To preserve monuments hit by pollution, official apathy and left to rot, researchers from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Warangal, have come up with a 3D model that could help the archaeological department in rebuilding and restoring them to their earlier grandeur. It could also be used for a virtual tour.
In their paper published in 'Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing' recently, the researchers showed how they had built a 3D model of Kota Gullu, a group of 20 temples in Warangal. With historical heritage back on centre stage after the UNESCO world heritage tag to Ramappa temple in Mulugu, this 3D model could well be used in preservation of heritage structures at large.
The researchers used drones to capture high-resolution images of the temples that portray architectural styles dating back to the 12th century. The images were processed using a mobile-based application to acquire images of the temple ruins in the study area. Subsequently, they were converted into a 3D model which could be used for preservation of the heritage monument.
"These 3D models have replicated the exact architecture of temple complex that can be used to rebuild the remaining demolished structural artefacts. In future, if any part of these monuments are damaged or destroyed, this 3D model can help the archaeological department to rebuild it," said Sirish Dasari, who is the lead researcher at the NIT, and is now working as a geographic information system engineer at a private firm in Hyderabad.
"There are many other structural remains just beside the temple and these can also be 3D modelled to check whether they exactly fit with the temple roof structure," read the research paper.
The 3D model can also help develop a replica of a structure that can be useful for the visually impaired to understand and learn about a monument. It can also be viewed by people from any part of the world.
