Volume calculation methods of irregular stone artifacts based on 3D laser scanning technology

The rapid development of three-dimensional digital mapping and information technology have made the information recording and conservation of stone cultural relics more and more accurate and efficient, and their mapping methods have become more and more diverse. This study takes the rockery of the Humble Administrator’s Garden as an example to propose three volume measurement methods of massive, irregular, and immovable stone artifacts. These solutions are based on point cloud data obtained by a handheld 3D laser scanner and then different algorithms are used to calculate the volume.The three calculation principles are as follows: the voxel method, the encapsulation method, and the improved slicing method. Finally, the advantages, disadvantages and applicability scenarios of existing conventional volume measurement methods for rockeries are also compared with these three methods. The measurement methods used in this study has significant advantages over conventional means of calculating the volume of rockery. It is of great significance for the information acquisition, conservation, restoration, and revitalization inheritance of the rockery.