Impact-Resistant Flying Platform for Use in the Urban Construction Monitoring

A case study drone that constitutes a shock-resistant aerial vehicle is discussed in the chapter. The aerial motor platform is placed in gimbal joints of the exclusive framework (shell). The platform is a helicopter type aerial vehicle powered with two coaxial rotors of contra rotation. Mathematical model of the platform spatial dynamics bases Lagrange's equations to bring reliable solutions so that advanced model-based control law design techniques can be used. Though the case study implies utilizing an automatic flight mode of the aerial vehicle, it can be piloted remotely on radio. The on-board video cameras and other sensors are used to bring about both navigational duties and surveillance missions such as building constructions monitoring.

Modelling Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes

In this chapter, a hybrid approach integrating cellular automata (CA), fuzzy logic, logistic regression, and Markov chains for modelling and prediction of land-use and land-cover (LULC) change at the local scale, using geographic information with fine spatial resolution is presented. A spatial logistic regression model was applied to determine the transition rules that were used by a conventional CA model. The overall dimension of LULC change was estimated using a Markov chain model. The proposed CA-based model (termed CAMLucc) in combination with physical variables and land-use planning data was applied to simulate LULC change in Portimão, Portugal between 1947 and 2010 and to predict its future spatial patterns for 2020 and 2025. The main results of this research show that Portimão has been facing massive growth in artificial surfaces, particularly near the main urban settlements and along the coastal area, and reveal an early and intensive urban sprawl over time.

New Solutions and Methodologies for Data Acquisition and Management in Small Municipalities

Promoting and managing sustainable territorial development require adequate tools that enable territorial managers to formulate appropriate choices. Technological solutions have emerged, and the paradigm has shifted from isolated GIS to a more collaborative production and dissemination of geographic data using spatial data infrastructures (SDI). A critical dataset for municipal land administration is cadastre. ISO 19152 standard of the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) was published in 2012. Also, technology evolution, namely unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), has changed data acquisition for cadastre. These are three pillars of modern territorial management: openness, co-production, and data sharing (SDI); models (LADM); affordable technology (UAV). This chapter presents how municipalities can develop an SDI project, incorporating LADM guidelines and UAV data acquisition. The case study is based on a group of 32 small municipalities from São Paulo state, in Brazil, known as UNIPONTAL.

Three-Dimensional Modelling for Cultural Heritage

The creation of 3D models of urban elements is extremely relevant for urbanists constituting digital archives and being especially useful for enriching maps and databases or reconstructing and analyzing objects/areas through time, building/recreating scenarios and implementing intuitive methods of interaction. The widespread data available online offer new opportunities to generate realistic 3D models without the need to go physically to the place. This chapter aims to demonstrate the potential 3D modeling and visualization/interaction of urban elements in the city for multiple purposes, and it is organized in four main topics: The first deals with the theoretical framework regarding the bases of the human perception of the spatial environment and the importance of 3D modelling. The second and third deal with technical procedures on terrestrial/aerial data acquisition and demonstrate alternatively data gathered online to generate 3D models for the visualization of urban elements of the city, and the fourth introduces 3D model visualization within an augmented reality environment.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Smart Cities

In this chapter, the authors are presenting opportunities for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in town. Methods for the optimization of flight routes of UAVs in the dependence of target tasks in the city are presented, for example, area monitoring; search and rescue operations; retransmission of communication (in places, where the antenna coverage cannot be set due to terrain specifications); organization of logistics as the safe, cheap, and fast transportation method of goods; for aerial photography, for controlling traffic; for the provision of the first aid to people in emergencies; unmanned taxi. It is done using air navigation information and mathematical methods. Authors suggest dynamic programming methods, GRID analyses, expert judgment method, and fuzzy-logic methods for estimation of risk/safety of flights in the city. Optimization of flows and flexible redistribution of UAV routes in multilevel airspace is provided according to air navigation requirements and standards.

Remote Sensing and GIS for Modelling Green Roofs Potential at Different Urban Scales

Urban greening is an essential dimension of sustainable urban development. Through green planning, cities can develop strategies towards climate change and mitigation actions and reduce emissions. This chapter aims to evaluate the combined use of remote sensing data and GIS to produce different levels of sustainable indicators, starting from the city level to the neighborhood and the building levels. Green roofs can be part of the solution through the ecosystem services provided. Its benefits are evaluated for the different urban scales through scenario analysis. The impact in the outdoor thermal comfort is assessed at the neighborhood level, while the overall potential to improve energy efficiency is evaluated at the building level. The methodology is implemented in the city of Lisbon, Portugal through a pilot case study. The results can provide rationales for the city when formulating new incentives to encourage the uptake of green roofs in Lisbon.

Counter-Mapping Practices in Land Regularization Through Geoinformation Technologies

This chapter outlines the experience of the Épura Research and Extension Group of the Federal University of Mato Grosso for the identification, characterization, and demarcation of informal settlements in Cuiabá (Brazil). This involved cooperating with the local residents' associations and public authorities in recognizing local demands and the need to open up urban land regularization processes. The cartographic issue is central to the recognition and legitimization of these territories and the use of geoinformation technologies, namely geographic information systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, can increase the speed and accuracy of the mapping of the neighborhoods. Additionally, the demands for urban and housing improvements and provision of space for everyday activities can be highlighted through the visualization and measuring tools that are embodied in these technologies. Furthermore, the experience requires the university to play a role in seeking more participatory and proactive practices within urban planning processes.

Accuracy of UAV-Based Digital Elevation Models

UAV photogrammetry has simplified the measurement of the terrain's surface; however, the accuracy of the method is still a matter of research as it depends on multiple factors such as the UAV employed and the decisions made by the user during information acquisition and processing. This chapter analyses the accuracy of 27 digital elevation models (DEMs) built from the data acquired with a DJI Phantom 3 drone, which was flown at different heights and trajectories in a case study in the Colombian Department of Antioquia. The statistical analysis confirmed that the use of ground control points (GCPs) is fundamental to increase the accuracy of the map products. It also showed that accuracy, understood as the comparison between the coordinates of points measured in the field (CPs) with their corresponding values estimated in the orthophotomosaics, depends on the number of CPs and their location. An insufficient number of CPs or an inadequate distribution, for instance all or most of them located in a single land cover, will cause the accuracy to be overestimated.

Geospatial Technology in Urban Sprawl Assessment

The emergence of alienated patch in the periphery of the city or fragmentation of the main city are the results of irresponsible and poor planning. This global problem of sprawl is strengthening even more with the hasty pace of urbanization. Despite the existing policies and regulations, it is a huge failure to control the sprawl. Hence, city planners and policy makers need to be more efficient in designing the cities to achieve sustainable development goals. For that purpose, adequate and informative data of the urban morphology, growth pattern, sprawl characteristics are required. Geospatial technology is a cost-effective measure and best among currently available techniques for collecting real-time/near real-time geographical data of the entire globe. The geographic information system (GIS) provides numerous tools for assessment of multidimensionality of urban sprawl. This chapter discusses various urban models, different forms of urban expansion, and a few existing methods to quantify sprawl.

Geoinformation Technologies in Land Use Monitoring of Fast-Growing Cities for Sustainable Urban Development

To understand the territory of fast-growing cities, where there are multiple stakeholders involved, the observation of such dynamics seems indispensable to formulate and implement policies and actions based on a better understanding of these territorial systems. This chapter offers a perspective on how urban territories should be observed through geoinformation technologies that can provide a means for creating monitoring indicators concerning land use of fast-growing cities. The city of Maputo was used as an experimental laboratory for the use of geoinformation technologies in the observation, discussion, and reflection on methods for sustainable urbanism. The discussion includes the implications of the case study and possible developments to take a step forward in land use planning processes to achieve the desired socio-spatial equality.