Stefanos Costopoulos - 3D Scanning Specialist

About Me

My Journey

I've worked at the intersection of 3D scanning and digital reconstruction, contributing to archaeological preservation projects.

My Approach

Precision-focused methodology combining cutting-edge technology with meticulous attention to detail to create accurate digital twins of physical objects and environments.

My Vision

Expanding the application of 3D scanning technology to preserve cultural heritage and create new frontiers in digital experiences.

Technical Expertise

Photogrammetry Aerial Photogrammetry Micro CT Scan Mesh Optimization Point Cloud Processing Texture Baking Texture Transfering

Software Proficiency

RealityCapture

Agisoft Metashape

MeshLab

Blender

Adobe Suite

3DF Zephyr

Unity

Python

Education

PhD in Computer Graphics

Athens University of Economics and Business

2025-present

My thesis is: "Computer Graphics Methods for the Visualization of Big Data in Cultural Heritage". Fusion of the exported textures of SfM with the volumetric data obtained from the CT Scan. Also my thesis addresses methods for maintaining visual fidelity in geometrically simplified 3D reconstructions of cultural heritage monuments.

M.Sc. in Digital methods for the Humanities

Athens University of Economics and Business

2023-2025

Focused on Natural Language Processing, machine learning, and statistical modeling, with a strong emphasis on 3D scanning and spatial data analysis. Specialized in processing and optimizing 3D data from photogrammetry and structured light scanning.

B.Sc. in Sociology

Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences

2010-2016

Explored social systems, cultural heritage, and human behavior, with a strong foundation in statistical analysis. Focused on how cultural data can be quantitatively studied while laying the groundwork for applying data science and 3D scanning techniques to heritage preservation in later postgraduate research.

Publications

From monuments to pixels: evaluating the impact of texture spatial complexity and compression on digital models in Ancient Elis

Costopoulos, S. (2025). From monuments to pixels: evaluating the impact of texture spatial complexity and compression on digital models in Ancient Elis (Master’s thesis, Athens University of Economics and Business).

Digital reconstruction and visualization techniques for cultural heritage artifacts using photogrammetric methods, particularly Structure from Motion (SfM) while appying different LoDs.

Developed a structured methodology for creating and optimizing 3D reconstructions of cultural heritage artifacts
Conducted experimental evaluations showing participants could not visually distinguish between high-resolution and simplified models enhanced with normal mapping, validating the effectiveness of the approach
Contributed by providing 5 high resolution 3D models for the Archaeological Museum of Elis

The impact of normal mapping on the geometric simplification of archaeological 3D data

Costopoulos, S., & Papaioannou, G. (2025). The impact of normal mapping on the geometric simplification of archaeological 3D data. In Proceedings of the 52nd International Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA).

Transferring high-resolution surface normals onto low-resolution meshes, the method simulates detailed lighting effects without the computational cost of full geometric detail.

Demonstrated that normal mapping effectively preserves visual fidelity in aggressively decimated 3D archaeological models, reducing geometric complexity without significant loss of perceived detail
Conducted a large-scale user study showing that both experts and non-experts frequently misidentify normal-mapped simplified models as high-resolution, confirming the technique's visual realism
Validated normal mapping as a resource-efficient method for 3D cultural heritage visualization, enabling easier storage, transmission, and rendering while maintaining key visual characteristics

Featured Projects

A selection of the projects will be made available at a later date.

Transforming Reality into Digital Precision