Underwater Photogrammetric Mapping of an Intact Standing Steel Wreck with ROV

This paper presents the results of an underwater photogrammetric survey of an intact standing steel wreck with high vertical profiles from the seabed at 60 meters depth. The survey was conducted in Trondheim Harbour in August 2014 using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipped with a stereo camera rig. The paper demonstrates how the emergence of commercially available photogrammetric software has reduced the required resources for creating high-resolution 3D-models of archaeological sites from photographs. At the same time, the resources and ROV-pilot skills required for the survey itself still represent an obstacle for the end users. The results and experiences of this survey are therefore used as the basis for a discussion on the possible benefits, challenges and strategies for conducting such a survey autonomously.