Q&A: What is reality capture? How can it transform digital archaeology and other sectors?
September 17, 2025
What happens when centuries-old burial grounds meet today¡¯s technology?
When you think about archaeology, what first springs to mind?
Maybe a person lying in a dusty trench, brushing dirt away from a stone tool or broken piece of pottery. ?
Your own image may vary, but you¡¯re not picturing technology, right? But digital technology is just as essential to an archaeologist as their trowel or brush.
It¡¯s a field we call digital archaeology. We combine traditional fieldwork and digital innovation.
In Indianapolis, Indiana, the city is building a combined pedestrian/vehicle bridge that crosses the White River. It¡¯s near Lucas Oil Stadium, where the NFL¡¯s Indianapolis Colts play their home games.
The eastern portion of the bridge will impact two of the city¡¯s first cemeteries. Over 30 of our team¡¯s archaeologists are using digital tools to document the entire excavation process.?
The photogrammetry process of capturing imagery to make a 3D model.
They¡¯re using digital archaeology to help analyze and ultimately rebury the city¡¯s pioneers.
In this Q&A, digital archaeologist Alex Elvis Badillo and reality capture technology manager Josh Sexton discuss how drones, photogrammetry, and the cloud are reshaping archaeology.
Q: What is reality capture?
Josh: Reality capture is a group of tools we use to digitize the physical world. We build digital replicas of real-world environments. This makes it easier to understand, analyze, and plan projects.
Q: When does the digital archaeology team at Â鶹´«Ã½ get involved?
Alex: Ideally, we get involved during a project¡¯s planning stage. This makes our digital approach more successful. And any project can benefit from digital technology.
Q: What is the combination of archaeological Â鶹´«Ã½ and technology that delivers better outcomes for clients?
Alex: You can¡¯t have one without the other.
With digital archaeology, I can fly a drone over a work site and make high-res maps and 3D models in less than an hour. Or I can collect data in the field digitally, so it¡¯s accessed immediately. This helps clients make decisions in real time.
But digital archaeology doesn¡¯t remove the need for training and experience. We still have to interpret the data and 3D models that reality capture generates.
Structure-from-motion process. Photo alignment (left), 3D model/mesh building (center), and photorealistic texture generation (right). The skeletal remains depicted here are plastic remains used for testing purposes.
Q: How are you using digital archaeology in Indianapolis?
Alex: We¡¯ve designed an innovative workflow that accurately records everything in 3D. We take between 20 and 60 two-dimensional photos of the burials. Then we create 3-D models using a technique called photogrammetry. This helps us conduct in-depth analyses of artifacts and skeletal remains.
From there, we use GPS technology to map the models in the physical world.
And it¡¯s integrated into a paperless workflow. By using Esri¡¯s Survery123, we can log each excavation in an easy-to-use form. Completed forms are sent to the cloud and accessed through a custom dashboard. It¡¯s an interactive webpage that pulls complex data into a simple format.
This creates an immediate and deep understanding of the cemetery¡¯s layout and history.
Q: How does digital archaeology help the City of Indianapolis?
Alex: The City sees our work as it happens. They¡¯ve created a community advisory group that has access to the dashboard. There are many buried monuments in the site, and some have written inscriptions. By providing that data to local historians within the advisory group, they can help piece together who is in that location.
Digital archaeology doesn¡¯t remove the need for training and experience. We still have to interpret the data that reality capture technology collects.
Q: In what other sectors can we use reality capture?
Josh: I use it in Environmental Services. It is particularly helpful for brownfield sites. Reality capture can help us revitalize these properties. We also use it for Buildings, Infrastructure, Transportation, and Community Development.
For example, my team measured overhead bridge clearances with LiDAR scanning. That¡¯s using laser light to measure distances. We did that along 80 miles of railway corridor for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority.
In Colorado, we modeled four tunnels with LiDAR and photogrammetry for the Department of Transportation. This meant inspection findings could be reviewed virtually.?
An aerial photo of Greenlawn Cemetery during excavation, with the city of Indianapolis and Lucas Oil Stadium in the background.?
Q: Before we wrap up, is there anything you¡¯d like to emphasize?
Josh: Yes, this technology is very approachable. It¡¯s not something to fear or be hesitant to adopt. You don¡¯t need to be a tech expert. From a client perspective¡ªas Alex described¡ªbut also for practitioners.
I¡¯m a geologist by trade, a career that is analog by nature. And I¡¯ve created digital workflows for almost two decades. But I don¡¯t consider myself a tech expert even though I work in the field.
Reality capture is approachable. And I think it¡¯s necessary. The benefits to workflows and our clients are too big to ignore.
