scholarly journals Performance Validation of a Multi-Channel LiDAR Sensor: Assessing the Effects of Target Height and Sensor Velocity on Measurement Error

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-244
Author(s):  
Saket S. Dasika ◽  
Michael P. Sama ◽  
L. Felipe Pampolini ◽  
Christopher B. Good

Abstract. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sensor velocity and target height above ground level on height measurement error when using a multi-channel LiDAR sensor. A linear motion system was developed to precisely control the dynamics of the LiDAR sensor in an effort to remove uncertainty in the LiDAR position and velocity while under motion. The linear motion system allowed the LiDAR to translate forward and backward in one direction parallel to the ground. A user control interface was developed to operate the system under different velocity profiles and to log LiDAR data synchronous to the motion of the system. The performance of the linear motion system was validated with a tracking total station, and the results showed that the position and velocity control errors were negligible as compared to the LiDAR accuracy. The LiDAR was then validated using 25 test targets at varying heights above ground level (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.8 m) with five different velocity profiles (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.2 m s-1) and six replications to determine the effects of sensor velocity and target height on measurement error. The targets were painted white on one side and black on the other to determine the effect of relative intensity on LiDAR height measurement error. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted with the measurement error and the standard deviation of the measurement error as the responses. Sensor velocity, target height, and their interaction were considered as fixed effects to determine if there were significant differences in average error and standard deviation of error for different sensor velocities and target heights. The results indicated that the velocity of the LiDAR was a significant factor affecting the average error and standard deviation of error in height measurements. However, higher velocities tended to result in only slightly larger average errors. A three-fold increase in the standard deviation was observed when increasing the velocity from 0.1 to 2.2 m s-1. Height of the target was either a weakly significant or insignificant factor in average error and a weakly significant factor affecting the standard deviation of the LiDAR measurements, representing mixed results. The average error and standard deviation were less than 10 and 30 mm, respectively, for all replications. Relative intensities of the LiDAR measurements were 88.2% and 5.4% for white and black targets, respectively, and the different target colors exhibited a 4.7 mm shift in average estimated height error. These uncertainties may not be substantial for agricultural applications, where other sources of error, such as moving crop canopies or error in resolving the position of the sensor, are more likely to dominate overall measurement error. Keywords: LiDAR, Measurement error, Precision agriculture, Remote sensing, Validation.

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Robert Cichowicz ◽  
Maciej Dobrzański

Spatial analysis of the distribution of particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas pollution was performed in the area around a university library building. The reasons for the subject matter were reports related to the perceptible odor characteristic of hydrogen sulfide and a general poor assessment of air quality by employees and students. Due to the area of analysis, it was decided to perform measurements at two heights, 10 m and 20 m above ground level, using measuring equipment attached to a DJI Matrice 600 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The aim of the measurements was air quality assessment and investigate the convergence of the theory of air flow around the building with the spatial distribution of air pollutants. Considerable differences of up to 63% were observed in the concentrations of pollutants measured around the building, especially between opposite sides, depending on the direction of the wind. To explain these differences, the theory of aerodynamics was applied to visualize the probable airflow in the direction of the wind. A strong convergence was observed between the aerodynamic model and the spatial distribution of pollutants. This was evidenced by the high concentrations of dust in the areas of strong turbulence at the edges of the building and on the leeward side. The accumulation of pollutants was also clearly noticeable in these locations. A high concentration of H2S was recorded around the library building on the side of the car park. On the other hand, the air turbulence around the building dispersed the gas pollution, causing the concentration of H2S to drop on the leeward side. It was confirmed that in some analyzed areas the permissible concentration of H2S was exceeded.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedetahere Mousavi ◽  
Batool Amiri ◽  
Saidee Beigi ◽  
Mohammadreza Farzaneh

Abstract Introduction Turner syndrome is a genetic disorder in females and is the result of complete or partial loss of an X chromosome during fertilization. The missing X chromosome is originally either from the mother's ovum or the father's sperm cell. Approximately 45% of patients have the 45,X karyotype and the rest have other variants of Turner syndrome, which are either mosaicism patterns or structural abnormalities of the X chromosome. Here, we report a case of Turner syndrome that is the fifth case of Turner syndrome with balanced Robertsonian translocation of (13;14)(q10;q10), and the sixth case with 44,X chromosomes, reported in the literature thus far. Case presentation A 10.3-year-old Persian girl was brought to our clinic by her parents, with the complaint of failure to thrive and short height. She had been examined and investigated by endocrinologists since the age of 4 years, but no definite diagnosis was made. At the time of presentation, she had been through three provocative growth hormone tests and had been on no medications for about a year. Her physical examination revealed mild retrognathia and micrognathia. Initially, she was started on somatropin treatment which, after 12 months, did not appropriately improve her height velocity. Therefore, a more thorough physical examination was performed, in which high arched palate and low posterior hairline were observed. There was also a difference between target height and patient height standard deviation scores. Karyotype study was requested, and Turner syndrome was confirmed. Conclusion The diagnosis of this case was not straightforward, both because the somatic presentations were not obvious, and because the physicians had not looked for them when performing the physical examinations. This case report introduces a rare 44,X chromosome karyotype of Turner syndrome and highlights the value in using the difference between target height and patient height standard deviation scores as a simple and inexpensive tool for diagnosis of this syndrome.


2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 1627-1642 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Baas ◽  
F. C. Bosveld ◽  
H. Klein Baltink ◽  
A. A. M. Holtslag

Abstract A climatology of nocturnal low-level jets (LLJs) is presented for the topographically flat measurement site at Cabauw, the Netherlands. LLJ characteristics are derived from a 7-yr half-hourly database of wind speed profiles, obtained from the 200-m mast and a wind profiler. Many LLJs at Cabauw originate from an inertial oscillation, which develops after sunset in a layer decoupled from the surface by stable stratification. The data are classified to different types of stable boundary layers by using the geostrophic wind speed and the isothermal net radiative cooling as classification parameters. For each of these classes, LLJ characteristics like frequency of occurrence, height above ground level, and the turning of the wind vector across the boundary layer are determined. It is found that LLJs occur in about 20% of the nights, are typically situated at 140–260 m above ground level, and have a speed of 6–10 m s−1. Development of a substantial LLJ is most likely to occur for moderate geostrophic forcing and a high radiative cooling. A comparison with the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) is added to illustrate how the results can be used to evaluate the performance of atmospheric models.


1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 1119-1123 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. I. Shumilov ◽  
E. A. Kasatkina ◽  
K. Henriksen ◽  
E. V. Vashenyuk

Abstract. The lidar measurements at Verhnetulomski observatory (68.6°N, 31.8°E) at Kola peninsula detected a considerable increase of stratospheric aerosol concentration after the solar proton event of GLE (ground level event) type on the 16/02/84. This increase was located at precisely the same altitude range where the energetic solar protons lost their energy in the atmosphere. The aerosol layer formed precipitated quickly (1–2 km per day) during 18, 19, and 20 February 1984, and the increase of R(H) (backscattering ratio) at 17 km altitude reached 40% on 20/02/84. We present the model calculation of CN (condensation nuclei) altitude distribution on the basis of an ion-nucleation mechanism, taking into account the experimental energy distribution of incident solar protons. The meteorological situation during the event was also investigated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Ziyad Khalf Salih ◽  
Seyedeh Somayyeh Shafiei Masouleh ◽  
Mohamed Abdulla Ahmed ◽  
Marwan Abdulla Sanam

Abstract Jasmine (Jasminum sambac L.) is an evergreen shrub and very fragrant, which has a very importance in the perfume industry and its flowers are used in different religious and ceremonies. Training the shrubs for more yields of flowers and essential oil with horticultural improvement effects of pruning and amino acids may help gardeners to achieve more benefits. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pruning intensity (without pruning, 40, 60 or 75 cm above ground level) and foliar application of amino acids (without amino acids, tryptophan or glycine) on jasmine shrubs for promoting growth and reproductive growth and the content of essential oil. The results showed that plants with light pruning (75 cm) and foliar application of amino acids especially glycine had the best growth and yield, which means that plants were affected by the interactions of pruning level and application of amino acids.


2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 2027-2054 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Häseler ◽  
T. Brauers ◽  
F. Holland ◽  
A. Wahner

Abstract. The LOPAP (long path absorption) technique has been shown to be very sensitive for the detection of nitrous acid (HONO) in the atmosphere. However, current instruments were mainly built for ground based applications. Therefore, we designed a new LOPAP instrument to be more versatile for mobile measurements and to meet the requirements for airborne application. The detection limit of the new instrument is below 1 ppt at a time resolution of 5 to 7 min. As a first test, the instrument was successfully employed during the ZEPTER-1 campaign in July 2007 on board of the Zeppelin NT airship. During 15 flights on six days we measured HONO concentration profiles over southwest Germany, predominantly in the range between 100 m and 650 m above ground level. On average, a mixing ratio of 34 ppt was observed, almost independently of height. Within a econd campaign, ZEPTER-2 in fall 2008, higher HONO mixing ratios were observed in the Lake Constance area.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Le Maire ◽  
Denis Thieblemont ◽  
Marc Munschy ◽  
Guillaume Martelet ◽  
Geoffroy Mohn

<p>Continent-Ocean Transitions (COT) and ultra-slow spreading ridges, floored by wide area of exhumed serpentinized mantle, bear strong amplitude magnetic lineations. However, whether these anomalies are linked to inversions of the direction of the magnetization (therefore characterized as isochrones of seafloor spreading) or to structural and lithological contrasts remains an open question. Generally, marine magnetic data acquired at sea surface along profiles, are too low resolution to image the intensity variations of the magnetic field at a kilometric scale. Performing a dense deep tow magnetic survey at a present-day COT or ultra-slow spreading system would be better to determine the sources of the magnetic signal but remains expensive. To go ahead, a valuable alternative to address these questions is to record the magnetic signal on ophiolite representing remnants of COT and oceanic systems sampled in orogenic system. We worked on the Chenaillet Ophiolite (French Alps), which represents a fossil COT or ultra-slow spreading system integrated to the Alpine orogeny. This ophiolite escaped high-pressure metamorphism and has only been weakly deformed during Alpine orogeny, preserving its pre-orogenic structure.</p><p>We performed an UAV magnetic survey using fluxgate magnetometers in complex conditions due to the altitude (> 1800 m), the strong topography variations and the weather conditions (negative temperatures, snow). Despite these difficulties, which highlight the viability of UAV for geophysical measurements, a survey of 20 square kilometers with 219 km of profiling was completed 100 m above ground level. Flight line spacing is 100 m above the ophiolitic basement and 200 m above the sedimentary units. Another magnetic UAV survey was flown with another UAV to map a small area 10 m above ground level. Magnetic anomaly maps were computed after standard processing (e.g., calibration/compensation, temporal variation and regional magnetic field corrections, levelling).</p><p>Our first results evidence well-defined magnetic anomalies clearly linked to serpentinite. This shows that the magnetic signal is of sufficient resolution to contribute to a revision of the cartography of the massif combining geological observations and magnetic data.</p><p>In addition, the magnetic susceptibility was measured on 60 outcrops, to support interpretation.</p><p>In this presentation, we focus on the magnetic acquisition campaigns, processing and 2D/3D interpretations by forward modelling and data inversion. Lastly, two items are discussed: 1) contribution of magnetic UAV surveys for geological mapping; and 2) implication of the results on the Chenaillet massif to discuss the contribution of magnetic mapping to the understanding of the TOC or ultra-slow spreading system.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 617003
Author(s):  
张绍军 Zhang Shaojun ◽  
高云国 Gao Yunguo ◽  
薛向尧 Xue Xiangyao

Author(s):  
Stephen J. Curran

This paper is a pilot study on the concept of an aerial base station as a future strategy for restoring cellular communications in the aftermath of a major disaster. The strategy being studied makes use of low altitude platforms (LAPs) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can hover or orbit in a relatively fixed position and can act as an aerial base station. Unlike High Altitude Platforms (HAP) operating in a layer of the atmosphere above any existing air traffic, the LAPs or UAVs will be able to operate a few hundred to some thousands of meters above ground level. This paper also describes the functionality of the components comprising the aerial base station.


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