Emerging Dimensions of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle’s (UAV) 3D Reconstruction Modeling and Photogrammetry in Architecture and Construction Management

Abstract

In recent decades, the versatility of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have made the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology widely applied in diverse disciplines, such as architecture, civil engineering, and construction management. UAV is employed in diverse dimensions to obtain essential information from the construction sites, a feasible analysis in condition assessment, and progress monitoring and visualization. The current research has aimed to investigate the dimensions UAV’ 3D modeling by applying the literature content analysis method. The research found that UAV technology has been merged into seven dimensions; included, 3D Modeling, Safety, Surveying, Monitoring, Transportation, Contour crafting, Inspection. Amongst, 3D modeling is the primary dimension and dramatically growing in architecture and civil engineering. The research found that UAV’ 3D modeling has merged into nine (9) dimensions; D1. Quality management, D2. Risk Management, D3. Site monitoring, D4. Project performance and progress control, D5. Facilities Management, D6. Building Measurement, D7. On-Site Information Analysis, D8. Team Collaboration and communication, and D9. Workers Training. The research found that building measurement and quality management are the most rapidly growing dimensions. Also, the research has indicated thirty-six (36) sub-dimensions, where using inspection tools, using web-based VR, image-based 3D reconstruction and meshing, and using AR have been mostly grown in the UAV’s 3D modeling. Accordingly, several 3D reconstruction software has been developed.