Exploring the Use of LiDAR in Smartphones: Documenting the Frontispiece of Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Ouro Preto, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The recent integration of LiDAR into smartphones has become a catalyst for digitizing the built environment, presenting novel opportunities for documenting architectural heritage or its components. This article delves into the application of LiDAR technology in Apple devices, specifically integrated into iPhones. The study elucidates the most relevant applications, characteristics, best practices, advantages, and disadvantages through a Systematic Literature Review. Later, it takes as a case study a highly significant monument, the frontispiece of the 18th-century baroque Saint Francis of Assisi Church, which carries the artistic essence of Aleijadinho, a prominent Brazilian sculptor. The study examines two different scanning mobile applications and compares the point cloud obtained in the process. This approach has facilitated the 3D scanning and acquisition of the upper part of the frontispiece, subsequently strengthening the dissemination of its cultural heritage and enhancing the efficiency of preservation initiatives for this UNESCO World Heritage-listed monumental church.

KEYWORDS:

• historic building , chapel
• iPhone
• laser scanning
• mobile devices

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude and acknowledgment for the support received from CNPq (Grant Number 405146/2021-3); Ana Carolina Neves Miranda and Maria Raquel Alves Ferreira, from IPHAN; Angelo Oswaldo, mayor of the municipality of Ouro Preto; Father Edmar Pereira and employees of the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi; and researchers Livia Freire and Paola de Macedo Gomes Dias from IFMG Ouro Preto.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) [405146/2021-3].