scholarly journals Evaluating the Performance of sUAS Photogrammetry with PPK Positioning for Infrastructure Mapping

Drones ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Conor McMahon ◽  
Omar E. Mora ◽  
Michael J. Starek

Traditional acquisition methods for generating digital surface models (DSMs) of infrastructure are either low resolution and slow (total station-based methods) or expensive (LiDAR). By contrast, photogrammetric methods have recently received attention due to their ability to generate dense 3D models quickly for low cost. However, existing frameworks often utilize many manually measured control points, require a permanent RTK/PPK reference station, or yield a reconstruction accuracy too poor to be useful in many applications. In addition, the causes of inaccuracy in photogrammetric imagery are complex and sometimes not well understood. In this study, a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) was used to rapidly image a relatively even, 1 ha ground surface. Model accuracy was investigated to determine the importance of ground control point (GCP) count and differential GNSS base station type. Results generally showed the best performance for tests using five or more GCPs or when a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) was used, with vertical root mean square errors of 0.026 and 0.027 m in these cases. However, accuracy outputs generally met comparable published results in the literature, demonstrating the viability of analyses relying solely on a temporary local base with a one hour dwell time and no GCPs.

Author(s):  
M. Abdelaziz ◽  
M. Elsayed

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Underwater photogrammetry in archaeology in Egypt is a completely new experience applied for the first time on the submerged archaeological site of the lighthouse of Alexandria situated on the eastern extremity of the ancient island of Pharos at the foot of Qaitbay Fort at a depth of 2 to 9 metres. In 2009/2010, the CEAlex launched a 3D photogrammetry data-gathering programme for the virtual reassembly of broken artefacts. In 2013 and the beginning of 2014, with the support of the Honor Frost Foundation, methods were developed and refined to acquire manual photographic data of the entire underwater site of Qaitbay using a DSLR camera, simple and low cost materials to obtain a digital surface model (DSM) of the submerged site of the lighthouse, and also to create 3D models of the objects themselves, such as statues, bases of statues and architectural elements. In this paper we present the methodology used for underwater data acquisition, data processing and modelling in order to generate a DSM of the submerged site of Alexandria’s ancient lighthouse. Until 2016, only about 7200&amp;thinsp;m<sup>2</sup> of the submerged site, which exceeds more than 13000&amp;thinsp;m<sup>2</sup>, was covered. One of our main objectives in this project is to georeference the site since this would allow for a very precise 3D model and for correcting the orientation of the site as regards the real-world space.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Pan ◽  
Yiqing Dong ◽  
Dalei Wang ◽  
Airong Chen ◽  
Zhen Ye

Three-dimensional (3D) digital technology is essential to the maintenance and monitoring of cultural heritage sites. In the field of bridge engineering, 3D models generated from point clouds of existing bridges is drawing increasing attention. Currently, the widespread use of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provides a practical solution for generating 3D point clouds as well as models, which can drastically reduce the manual effort and cost involved. In this study, we present a semi-automated framework for generating structural surface models of heritage bridges. To be specific, we propose to tackle this challenge via a novel top-down method for segmenting main bridge components, combined with rule-based classification, to produce labeled 3D models from UAV photogrammetric point clouds. The point clouds of the heritage bridge are generated from the captured UAV images through the structure-from-motion workflow. A segmentation method is developed based on the supervoxel structure and global graph optimization, which can effectively separate bridge components based on geometric features. Then, recognition by the use of a classification tree and bridge geometry is utilized to recognize different structural elements from the obtained segments. Finally, surface modeling is conducted to generate surface models of the recognized elements. Experiments using two bridges in China demonstrate the potential of the presented structural model reconstruction method using UAV photogrammetry and point cloud processing in 3D digital documentation of heritage bridges. By using given markers, the reconstruction error of point clouds can be as small as 0.4%. Moreover, the precision and recall of segmentation results using testing date are better than 0.8, and a recognition accuracy better than 0.8 is achieved.


Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (18) ◽  
pp. 3952 ◽  
Author(s):  
* ◽  
*

Three Dimensional (3D) models are widely used in clinical applications, geosciences, cultural heritage preservation, and engineering; this, together with new emerging needs such as building information modeling (BIM) develop new data capture techniques and devices with a low cost and reduced learning curve that allow for non-specialized users to employ it. This paper presents a simple, self-assembly device for 3D point clouds data capture with an estimated base price under €2500; furthermore, a workflow for the calculations is described that includes a Visual SLAM-photogrammetric threaded algorithm that has been implemented in C++. Another purpose of this work is to validate the proposed system in BIM working environments. To achieve it, in outdoor tests, several 3D point clouds were obtained and the coordinates of 40 points were obtained by means of this device, with data capture distances ranging between 5 to 20 m. Subsequently, those were compared to the coordinates of the same targets measured by a total station. The Euclidean average distance errors and root mean square errors (RMSEs) ranging between 12–46 mm and 8–33 mm respectively, depending on the data capture distance (5–20 m). Furthermore, the proposed system was compared with a commonly used photogrammetric methodology based on Agisoft Metashape software. The results obtained demonstrate that the proposed system satisfies (in each case) the tolerances of ‘level 1’ (51 mm) and ‘level 2’ (13 mm) for point cloud acquisition in urban design and historic documentation, according to the BIM Guide for 3D Imaging (U.S. General Services).


Author(s):  
T. W. Yeh ◽  
R. Y. Chuang

Abstract. Landslides are one major kind of natural disasters and geomorphological processes on Earth’s surface. Accurate geodetic observations are crucial for understanding morphological changes, providing a quantitative basis of further research in surface process and hazard management. In recent years, the development of UAVs and SfM technology enhance research to build high quality digital surface models of landforms with low budget and efficiency. In areas of extreme topography where landslides occur on steep slopes, however, it is required to specifically design the UAV-SfM workflow to keep the data quality. This study aims to use UAS-SfM workflow to develop a low-cost, efficient methodology to detect detailed morphological change of landslide morphology in extreme topography. The study focuses on examining results of different flight design and GCPs distribution geometry, which are important components in the workflow. In addition, we applied a mathematical model to compare point clouds to calculate volumetric change of the landslide with reduced distortion.


Author(s):  
Evan B Goldstein ◽  
Amber R Oliver ◽  
Elsemarie deVries ◽  
Laura J Moore ◽  
Theo Jass

Vegetated coastal dunes grow as a result of feedbacks between vegetation and sand transport. Observing the coevolution of vegetation and the sand surface is therefore critical for unraveling the dynamics of coastal dune growth. Capturing synchronous topography and photography at high spatial resolution and high temporal frequency using traditional techniques (airplane-based aerial photography, LiDAR) is expensive and time-consuming. Structure-from-Motion combined with Multiview-Stereo, a photogrammetry workflow that uses low-cost, consumer-grade equipment, is an economical alternative to traditional collection methods. This workflow still requires the definition of ground control points (GCPs) — locations with known coordinates — to develop accurate digital surface models. In this contribution we address how the number of GCPs used impacts the accuracy of digital surface models. We flew a 9-foot single-line delta kite attached to a consumer-grade camera to photograph the beach and dune of Hog Island, VA, a site that contains 178 high precision GCPs over an area of ~0.025 km2 (as part of an ongoing field experiment). We then processed the 318 photographs using Agisoft Photoscan and compared the elevation accuracy of digital surface models rendered using SfM, with varying GCPs, to points surveyed by a total station. Our results suggest that there is ‘diminishing returns’ when greater than 10 GCPs are used. Results from this study can be used to inform future Structure-from-Motion studies using UAVs or kites in flat, low-sloping coastal environments.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan B Goldstein ◽  
Amber R Oliver ◽  
Elsemarie deVries ◽  
Laura J Moore ◽  
Theo Jass

Vegetated coastal dunes grow as a result of feedbacks between vegetation and sand transport. Observing the coevolution of vegetation and the sand surface is therefore critical for unraveling the dynamics of coastal dune growth. Capturing synchronous topography and photography at high spatial resolution and high temporal frequency using traditional techniques (airplane-based aerial photography, LiDAR) is expensive and time-consuming. Structure-from-Motion combined with Multiview-Stereo, a photogrammetry workflow that uses low-cost, consumer-grade equipment, is an economical alternative to traditional collection methods. This workflow still requires the definition of ground control points (GCPs) — locations with known coordinates — to develop accurate digital surface models. In this contribution we address how the number of GCPs used impacts the accuracy of digital surface models. We flew a 9-foot single-line delta kite attached to a consumer-grade camera to photograph the beach and dune of Hog Island, VA, a site that contains 178 high precision GCPs over an area of ~0.025 km2 (as part of an ongoing field experiment). We then processed the 318 photographs using Agisoft Photoscan and compared the elevation accuracy of digital surface models rendered using SfM, with varying GCPs, to points surveyed by a total station. Our results suggest that there is ‘diminishing returns’ when greater than 10 GCPs are used. Results from this study can be used to inform future Structure-from-Motion studies using UAVs or kites in flat, low-sloping coastal environments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin Laporte-Fauret ◽  
Vincent Marieu ◽  
Bruno Castelle ◽  
Richard Michalet ◽  
Stéphane Bujan ◽  
...  

In this paper, coastal dune data are collected at Truc Vert, SW France, using photogrammetry via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). A low-cost GoPro-equipped DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter and a 20 MPix camera-equipped DJI Phantom 4 Pro quadcopter UAVs were used to remotely sense the coastal dune morphology over large spatial scales (4 km alongshore, i.e., approximately 1 km2 of beach-dune system), within a short time (less than 2 h of flight). The primary objective of this paper is to propose a low-cost and replicable approach which, combined with simple and efficient permanent Ground Control Point (GCP) set-up, can be applied to routinely survey upper beach and coastal dune morphological changes at high frequency (after each storm) and high resolution (0.1 m). Results show that a high-resolution and accurate Digital Surface Model (DSM) can be inferred with both UAVs if enough permanent GCPs are implemented. The more recent DJI Phantom 4 gives substantially more accurate DSM with a root-mean-square vertical error and bias of 0.05 m and −0.03 m, respectively, while the DSM inferred from the DJI Phantom 2 still largely meets the standard for coastal monitoring. The automatic flight plan procedure allows replicable surveys to address large-scale morphological evolution at high temporal resolution (e.g., weeks, months), providing unprecedented insight into the coastal dune evolution driven by marine and aeolian processes. The detailed morphological evolution of a 4-km section of beach-dune system is analyzed over a 6-month winter period, showing highly alongshore variable beach and incipient foredune wave-driven erosion, together with wind-driven inland migration of the established foredune by a few meters, and alongshore-variable sand deposition on the grey dune. In a context of widespread erosion, this photogrammetry approach via low-cost flexible and lightweight UAVs is well adapted for coastal research groups and coastal dune management stakeholders, including in developing countries where data are lacking.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 535
Author(s):  
Maundri Prihanggo

<p>Saat ini, citra satelit resolusi sangat tinggi digunakan dalam berbagai macam aplikasi, terutama pemetaan skala besar. Sebelum dapat digunakan, citra satelit tersebut harus diorthorektifikasi terlebih dahulu. Data <em>Digital Surface Model </em>(DSM) dan <em>Ground Control Point</em> (GCP) adalah dua data utama yang diperlukan saat melakukan orthorektifikasi. Perbedaan data DSM yang digunakan akan menghasilkan perbedaan nilai ketelitian horizontal pada kedua citra tegak hasil orthorektifikasi. Pada penelitian ini digunakan dua jenis DSM yaitu SRTM dan Terrasar-X. Ketelitian vertikal dari SRTM adalah 90 m sedangkan ketelitian vertikal dari Terrasar-X adalah 12,5 m. Penelitian ini berlokasi di Wilayah Buli, Kabupaten Halmahera Timur, Provinsi Maluku. Terdapat tiga sensor citra satelit yang digunakan yaitu Pleiades, Quickbird dan Worldview-2 yang digunakan pada lokasi penelitian. Total GCP yang digunakan adalah 33 titik, tiap titiknya diukur dengan melakukan pengamatan geodetik dan memiliki ketelitian horizontal ≤15 cm dan ketelitian vertikal ≤30 cm. Ketelitian horizontal dari citra tegak satelit resolusi sangat tinggi diperoleh dengan melakukan uji terhadap Independent Check Point (ICP). Total ICP yang digunakan adalah 12 titik, tiap titik ICP diukur dengan metode dan standar yang sama dengan titik GCP. Ketelitian horizontal dengan Circular Error (CE 90) dari citra tegak satelit menggunakan data SRTM adalah 18,856 m sedangkan ketelitian horizontal dengan Circular Error (CE 90) dari citra tegak satelit menggunakan data Terrasar-X adalah 2.168 m . Hasil dari penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa ketelitian vertikal data DSM yang digunakan memberikan pengaruh pada citra tegak satelit hasil orthorektifikasi tersebut. Mengacu pada Peraturan Kepala BIG nomor 15 tahun 2014, citra tegak satelit hasil orthorektifikasi menggunakan data Terrasar-X sebagai DSM memenuhi ketelitian horizontal peta dasar kelas 3 skala 1:5.000 sedangkan citra tegak satelit hasil orthorektifikasi menggunakan data SRTM sebagai DSM tidak dapat memenuhi ketelitian horizontal peta dasar skala besar.</p><p><strong>Kata kunci:</strong> orthorektifikasi, DSM, ketelitian horizontal</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5321
Author(s):  
Marcin Barszcz ◽  
Jerzy Montusiewicz ◽  
Magdalena Paśnikowska-Łukaszuk ◽  
Anna Sałamacha

In the era of the global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, 3D digitisation of selected museum artefacts is becoming more and more frequent practice, but the vast majority is performed by specialised teams. The paper presents the results of comparative studies of 3D digital models of the same museum artefacts from the Silk Road area generated by two completely different technologies: Structure from Motion (SfM)—a method belonging to the so-called low-cost technologies—and by Structured-light 3D Scanning (3D SLS). Moreover, procedural differences in data acquisition and their processing to generate three-dimensional models are presented. Models built using a point cloud were created from data collected in the Afrasiyab museum in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) during “The 1st Scientific Expedition of the Lublin University of Technology to Central Asia” in 2017. Photos for creating 3D models in SfM technology were taken during a virtual expedition carried out under the “3D Digital Silk Road” program in 2021. The obtained results show that the quality of the 3D models generated with SfM differs from the models from the technology (3D SLS), but they may be placed in the galleries of the vitrual museum. The obtained models from SfM do not have information about their size, which means that they are not fully suitable for archiving purposes of cultural heritage, unlike the models from SLS.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1439
Author(s):  
Janghyuk Youn ◽  
Woong Son ◽  
Bang Chul Jung

Recently, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have received much interest from both academia and industry due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness in adjusting the phase and amplitude of wireless signals with low-cost passive reflecting elements. In particular, many RIS-aided techniques have been proposed to improve both data rate and energy efficiency for 6G wireless communication systems. In this paper, we propose a novel RIS-based channel randomization (RCR) technique for improving physical-layer security (PLS) for a time-division duplex (TDD) downlink cellular wire-tap network which consists of a single base station (BS) with multiple antennas, multiple legitimate pieces of user equipment (UE), multiple eavesdroppers (EVEs), and multiple RISs. We assume that only a line-of-sight (LOS) channel exists among the BS, the RISs, and the UE due to propagation characteristics of tera-hertz (THz) spectrum bands that may be used in 6G wireless communication systems. In the proposed technique, each RIS first pseudo-randomly generates multiple reflection matrices and utilizes them for both pilot signal duration (PSD) in uplink and data transmission duration (DTD) in downlink. Then, the BS estimates wireless channels of UE with reflection matrices of all RISs and selects the UE that has the best secrecy rate for each reflection matrix generated. It is shown herein that the proposed technique outperforms the conventional techniques in terms of achievable secrecy rates.


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