Application of Postprocessing Kinematic Methods with UAS Remote Sensing in Forest Ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary M Miller ◽  
Joseph Hupy ◽  
Aishwarya Chandrasekaran ◽  
Guofan Shao ◽  
Songlin Fei
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Gps Technology ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Rapid Deployment ◽  
Aerial Systems

Abstract Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) serve as an excellent remote-sensing platform to fulfill an aerial imagery data collection niche previously unattainable in forestry by satellites and manned aircraft. However, for UAS-derived data to be spatially representative, a precise network of ground control points (GCP) is often required, which can be tedious and limit the logistical benefits of UAS rapid deployment capabilities, especially in densely forested areas. Therefore, methods for efficient data collection without GCPs are highly desired in UAS remote sensing. Here, we demonstrate the use of postprocessing kinematic (PPK) technology to obtain subcentimeter precision in datasets of forested areas without the need for placing GCPs. We evaluated two key measures, positional variability and time efficiency, of the PPK technology by comparing them to traditional GCP methods. Results show that PPK displays consistently higher positional precision than traditional GCP approaches. Moreover, PPK surveys and processing take less time to complete than traditional GCP methods and require fewer logistical steps, especially in image acquisition. The time and resource savings with PPK as compared to GCP processing are undeniable. We conclude that PPK technology provides a practical means to produce precise aerial forest surveys. Study Implications Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have enormous potential for lowering costs and streamlining practices in the forestry management and research community. Despite this potential, however, UAS forestry applications have been limited in scope and precision because of a reliance on using ground-based GPS technology to survey ground control points (GCP), which are time intensive and require an open view of the sky. Such a need for a ground-based GCP survey, along with forest canopy serving to limit and scatter incoming GPS signals, diminishes the potential for rapid deployment and precision mapping offered by UAS. Fortunately, Postprocessing-Kinematic (PPK) GPS technology lowers these barriers by providing the means to seamlessly gather highly precise UAS imagery without needing to conduct time-intensive ground-based surveys. This study compares the precision and time-effectiveness between traditional GCP marker surveys and PPK correction methods.

scholarly journals Accuracy of 3D Landscape Reconstruction without Ground Control Points Using Different UAS Platforms

Drones ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Kalacska ◽  
Oliver Lucanus ◽  
J. Pablo Arroyo-Mora ◽  
Étienne Laliberté ◽  
Kathryn Elmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Model Errors ◽  
Positional Accuracy ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Aerial Systems

The rapid increase of low-cost consumer-grade to enterprise-level unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has resulted in the exponential use of these systems in many applications. Structure from motion with multiview stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetry is now the baseline for the development of orthoimages and 3D surfaces (e.g., digital elevation models). The horizontal and vertical positional accuracies (x, y and z) of these products in general, rely heavily on the use of ground control points (GCPs). However, for many applications, the use of GCPs is not possible. Here we tested 14 UASs to assess the positional and within-model accuracy of SfM-MVS reconstructions of low-relief landscapes without GCPs ranging from consumer to enterprise-grade vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platforms. We found that high positional accuracy is not necessarily related to the platform cost or grade, rather the most important aspect is the use of post-processing kinetic (PPK) or real-time kinetic (RTK) solutions for geotagging the photographs. SfM-MVS products generated from UAS with onboard geotagging, regardless of grade, results in greater positional accuracies and lower within-model errors. We conclude that where repeatability and adherence to a high level of accuracy are needed, only RTK and PPK systems should be used without GCPs.

scholarly journals Assessing the Accuracy of Digital Surface Models Derived from Optical Imagery Acquired with Unmanned Aerial Systems

Drones ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Manfreda ◽  
Petr Dvorak ◽  
Jana Mullerova ◽  
Sorin Herban ◽  
Pietro Vuono ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
3D Model ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Earthen Dam ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Aerial Systems

Small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) equipped with an optical camera are a cost-effective strategy for topographic surveys. These low-cost UASs can provide useful information for three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction even if they are equipped with a low-quality navigation system. To ensure the production of high-quality topographic models, careful consideration of the flight mode and proper distribution of ground control points are required. To this end, a commercial UAS was adopted to monitor a small earthen dam using different combinations of flight configurations and by adopting a variable number of ground control points (GCPs). The results highlight that optimization of both the choice and combination of flight plans can reduce the relative error of the 3D model to within two meters without the need to include GCPs. However, the use of GCPs greatly improved the quality of the topographic survey, reducing error to the order of a few centimeters. The combined use of images extracted from two flights, one with a camera mounted at nadir and the second with a 20° angle, was found to be beneficial for increasing the overall accuracy of the 3D model and especially the vertical precision.

scholarly journals Geometric Accuracy Study of Orthorectification Based on Sensor Model Refinement in Imagery Subset Using ORFEO Toolbox (OTB)

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andri Suprayogi ◽  
Nurhadi Bashit
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Geometric Accuracy ◽  
Model Refinement ◽  
Full Extent ◽  
Sensor Model ◽  
Ground Control Points

Large scale base map can be obtained by various methods, one of them is orthorectification process of remote sensing satellite imagery to eliminate the relief displacement caused by height variation of earth surface. To obtain a  map images with good quality,  it requires additional data such as sensor model in the form of rational polynomial coefficients (RPC), surface model data, and ground control points Satellite imageries with high resolution  file size are relatively large.  In order to process them,  high specification of hardwares were required. To overcome this by cutting only a portion of the images, based on certain study areas were suffer from of georeference lost so it would not be able to orthorectified. On the other hand,  in several remote sensing software such as ESA SNAP and Orfeo Toolbox (OTB)  subset or pixel extraction from satellite imagery,  preserve the imagery geometric sensor models. This research aimed at geometric accuracy of orthorectification carried out in a single scene of Pleiades Imagery within the Kepahiang Subdistrict, located at Kepahiang Regency, Bengkulu Province, by using DEMNAS and the imagery refined sensor mode, and ground control points taken using GPS Survey. Related with the raw imagery condition which consists of Panchromatic and multispectral bands, this study were separated to assembly, pan sharpening , and sensor model refinement stages prior to orthorectification carried out both in the original or full extent imagery and the result of subset extent imagery. After  these processses taken place, we measure the accuracy of each full and subset imagery.These procedures were carried out using Orfeo toolbox 6.6.0 in the Linux Mint 19 Operating system. From the process log, running time in total  were 7814.518  second for the full extent and 4321.95 seconds for the subset processess. And as a big data process, the total of full extent imageries was 83.15 GB  while the subset size  was  only 30.73 GB.  The relative accuracy of the full extent and its subset imagery were 0.431 meters. Accuracy of the  sensor model refinement process are  1.217 meters and 1.550 meters with GCP added, while the accuracu of  the orthorectifications results were  0.416 meters and 0.751 meters by using ICP.  Variation of execution time may caused by the data input size and complexity of the mathematical process carried out in each stages. Meanwhile,  the variation of accuracy may  caused by the check or control points placements above satellite Imagery which suffer from uncertainty when dealing with  the sub-pixel position or under 0.5 meters.

scholarly journals Using Digital Surface Models from UAS Imagery of Fire Damaged Sphagnum Peatlands for Monitoring and Hydrological Restoration

Drones ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon de Roos ◽  
Darren Turner ◽  
Arko Lucieer ◽  
David M.J.S. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Systems ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Hydrological Models ◽  
Slow Recovery ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Surface Models ◽  
Good Potential ◽  
Northern Peatlands ◽  
Aerial Systems

The sub-alpine and alpine Sphagnum peatlands in Australia are geographically constrained to poorly drained areas c. 1000 m a.s.l. Sphagnum is an important contributor to the resilience of peatlands; however, it is also very sensitive to fire and often shows slow recovery after being damaged. Recovery is largely dependent on a sufficient water supply and impeded drainage. Monitoring the fragmented areas of Australia’s peatlands can be achieved by capturing ultra-high spatial resolution imagery from an unmanned aerial systems (UAS). High resolution digital surface models (DSMs) can be created from UAS imagery, from which hydrological models can be derived to monitor hydrological changes and assist with rehabilitation of damaged peatlands. One of the constraints of the use of UAS is the intensive fieldwork required. The need to distribute ground control points (GCPs) adds to fieldwork complexity. GCPs are often used for georeferencing of the UAS imagery, as well as for removal of artificial tilting and doming of the photogrammetric model created by camera distortions. In this study, Tasmania’s northern peatlands were mapped to test the viability of creating hydrological models. The case study was further used to test three different GCP scenarios to assess the effect on DSM quality. From the five scenarios, three required the use of all (16–20) GCPs to create accurate DSMs, whereas the two other sites provided accurate DSMs when only using four GCPs. Hydrological maps produced with the TauDEM tools software package showed high visual accuracy and a good potential for rehabilitation guidance, when using ground- controlled DSMs.

scholarly journals Potential of RADARSAT-2 stereo radargrammetry for the generation of glacier DEMs

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (233) ◽  
pp. 486-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. PAPASODORO ◽  
A. ROYER ◽  
A. LANGLOIS ◽  
E. BERTHIER
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Mass Loss ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Confidence Level ◽  
Ground Control ◽  
Control Points ◽  
Ice Caps ◽  
Ice Cap ◽  
Ground Control Points ◽  
Elevation Changes

ABSTRACTThe study of glaciers and ice caps in remote and cloudy regions remains difficult using current remote sensing tools. Here the potential of stereo radargrammetry (SRG) with RADARSAT-2 Wide Ultra-Fine images is explored for DEM extraction, elevation changes and mass-balance calculations on Barnes Ice Cap (Nunavut, Canada). Over low-relief terrain surrounding Barnes, a vertical precision of ~7 m (1σ confidence level) is measured, as well as an average vertical bias of ~4 m. Moreover, we show that the C-band penetration depth over the ice cap is insignificant at this time of the year (i.e. late ablation season). This is likely due to a wet surface and the presence of superimposed ice that leads to a surface radar response. Comparing the SRG DEMs with other datasets, an historical glacier-wide mass balance of −0.52 ± 0.19 m w.e. a−1is estimated for 1960–2013, whereas it decreases to −1.06 ± 0.84 m w.e. a−1between 2005 and 2013. This clear acceleration of mass loss is in agreement with other recent studies. Given its all-weather functionality and its possible use without ground control points, the RADARSAT-2 SRG technology represents an appropriate alternative for glacier monitoring in cloudy and remote regions.

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