Vaults, ceilings and frescoes, surveyed up close.
Drone surveys inside historic buildings in Rome: point cloud, 3D model and high-resolution images of surfaces that otherwise can only be reached with scaffolding.
To see a vault up close, today you put up scaffolding.
Weeks of assembly, costs, rooms closed to the public, risks for the surfaces. And often the scaffolding is only there to find out what state the decoration is in, before deciding whether to intervene. A drone built for interiors takes the instruments up in a few hours, without touching anything.
From site visit to 3D model.
- 01
Site visit and flight plan
We walk the spaces with whoever runs them: heights, obstacles, delicate surfaces, closing times. We plan the drone's route and ask for permission from the owner and, for protected heritage, coordinate with the heritage authority.
- 02
Flight with a protected drone
The survey is flown with a drone inside a protective cage, designed for interiors: it works without GPS, in tight spaces, at low speed and at a controlled distance from surfaces. Flights happen behind closed doors, outside opening hours.
- 03
LiDAR and photogrammetry
While it flies, the LiDAR measures the geometry of the space in millions of points and the camera takes overlapping images of vaults, ceilings and decoration.
- 04
Processing
From the data we produce the point cloud, 3D model, orthophotos of the vaults and high-resolution images, with maps of cracks, detachments and damp when needed.
- 05
Delivery and publishing
Everything is delivered in open formats and, if useful, in a web viewer to share with restorers, designers and insurers, or to use for a virtual tour.
Your data, in open formats.
No lock-in to one software: the files open in the tools restorers and designers already use.
Spaces where every surface matters.
Historic palazzi and institutional seats
Reception halls, grand staircases, coffered ceilings: condition before and after works.
Museums and historic libraries
Documentation of decorated rooms and painted ceilings.
Restoration and architecture studios
Accurate surveys to design from, without scaffolding just to look.
Theatres and historic halls
Fly towers, ceilings and roof spaces that are hard to reach.
Tourism and culture
3D models and images for virtual tours and public content.
Flying is the easy part. The value is in the data.
A point cloud in a folder is of little use. We organise it, publish it in a viewer that opens in the browser and connect it to your systems: archive, works management, website. It's the same work we do every day with the data of companies and healthcare providers.
Before we fly.
Can the drone damage frescoes?
The drone flies slowly, at a controlled distance from surfaces, and sits inside a cage that absorbs any contact. The flight plan keeps it away from the most fragile surfaces.
Do we need to close to the public?
For the duration of the flight, yes. Flights usually happen before opening or after closing, so the palazzo or museum doesn't lose days.
Are permits needed?
Indoors, flying isn't regulated like outdoors, but you need the owner's authorisation, insurance cover and, for protected heritage, coordination with the heritage authority. We handle it with you.
How accurate is it?
It depends on the space, the light and the flight distance. We set it during the site visit, together with the level of detail you need.