The use of digital twin models to document cultural heritage monuments

A digital twin model can be defined as a connection between a virtual model and its real-life counterpart, by providing an interactive virtual environment that represents the real world. The use of digital twin models in cultural heritage enables better decision-making about preventive maintenance, heritage management, and interpretation, as well as accurate digital documentation. In cultural heritage, digital twin models are important in order to convey the real-life experience of the space through an accurate and detailed virtual representation. The use of a realistic virtual environment depends on the theory that people perceive and respond to virtual environments in the same manner as the real world. Therefore, a very realistic virtual environment is expected to create the emotion in the person as they would have achieved in the physical site. In this study, a digital twin model was created using Structure for Motion photogrammetry and a depth camera mapping system and compared to a model generated using laser scanning. The use of in-depth camera mapping utilizes panoramic image walkthroughs by facilitating panoramic image views by rendering an overview of the space. The use of digital twin models in cultural heritage provides a 4th dimension in space by providing additional semantic and geometric information to the user.