168016 20260123152958.0 doi 10.3390/drones10010073 sideral 147628 ART-2026-147628 eng Angás, J. (orcid)0000-0003-3854-2158 Cave of Altamira (Spain): UAV-Based SLAM Mapping, Digital Twin and Segmentation-Driven Crack Detection for Preventive Conservation in Paleolithic Rock-Art Environments 2026 The Cave of Altamira (Spain), a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains one of the most fragile and inaccessible Paleolithic rock-art environments in Europe, where geomatics documentation is constrained not only by severe spatial, lighting and safety limitations but also by conservation-driven restrictions on time, access and operational procedures. This study applies a confined-space UAV equipped with LiDAR-based SLAM navigation to document and assess the stability of the vertical rock wall leading to “La Hoya” Hall, a structurally sensitive sector of the cave. Twelve autonomous and assisted flights were conducted, generating dense LiDAR point clouds and video sequences processed through videogrammetry to produce high-resolution 3D meshes. A Mask R-CNN deep learning model was trained on manually segmented images to explore automated crack detection under variable illumination and viewing conditions. The results reveal active fractures, overhanging blocks and sediment accumulations located on inaccessible ledges, demonstrating the capacity of UAV-SLAM workflows to overcome the limitations of traditional surveys in confined subterranean environments. All datasets were integrated into the DiGHER digital twin platform, enabling traceable storage, multitemporal comparison, and collaborative annotation. Overall, the study demonstrates the feasibility of combining UAV-based SLAM mapping, videogrammetry and deep learning segmentation as a reproducible baseline workflow to inform preventive conservation and future multitemporal monitoring in Paleolithic caves and similarly constrained cultural heritage contexts. Access copy available to the general public Unrestricted info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess by https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Bea, M. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-2841-3347 Valladares, C. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0009-0009-4180-0753 Iranzo, C. Universidad de Zaragoza (orcid)0000-0002-3359-6213 Ruiz, G. (orcid)0000-0002-0342-0225 Fatás, P. de las Heras, C. Sánchez-Carro, M. Á. Bruschi, V. Prada, A. Díaz-González, L. M. 3000 033 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Ciencias de la Antigüed. Área Arqueología 3000 695 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Ciencias de la Antigüed. Área Prehistoria 3006 010 Universidad de Zaragoza Dpto. Geograf. Ordenac.Territ. Área Análisis Geográfico Regi. 10, 73 (2026), [35 pp.] Drones (Basel) Drones (Basel) 2504-446X 10811568 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/168016/files/texto_completo.pdf Versión publicada 2327839 http://zaguan.unizar.es/record/168016/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon icon Versión publicada oai:zaguan.unizar.es:168016 articulos driver 2026-01-23-14:33:28 ARTICLE