UAV systems for photogrammetric recording in archaeological areas: problems, suggestions, and products

F. Chiabrando; D. Marenchino; F. Nex; D. Piatti; F. Rinaudo

doi:10.1117/12.830412

7 October 2009 UAV systems for photogrammetric recording in archaeological areas: problems, suggestions, and products

F. Chiabrando, D. Marenchino, F. Nex, D. Piatti, F. Rinaudo

Proceedings Volume 7478, Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring, GIS Applications, and Geology IX; 747807 (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.830412
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2009, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

Documentation and measurements on archaeological areas are mostly connected with close-range photogrammetry, in order to analyze the detailed structure of the objects. Classical aerial photogrammetric surveys are expensive and limited by the image resolution. An alternative way is represented by the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with photogrammetric sensors. The paper deals with the acquisition and processing of low-height aerial imagery acquired by UAVs, in order to provide large-scale mapping in support of archaeological researches. Two remote controlled systems (one mini helicopter and one mini fixed wing plane) were tested on two different archaeological sites in order to provide Digital Surface Models (DSMs) and large-scale maps (numeric maps and orthophotos). The experimental analyses underline the potentialities and the problems of these systems for photogrammetric surveys. In particular, the UAV image acquisition is far from flights performed by manned planes: their dimensions and their little weights never allow to flight the coarse previously set and, as a consequence, their images are often affected by big rotation and little overlaps. In these conditions, traditional matching algorithms don't always succeed in the generation of reliable DSMs. For this reason, a procedure for the DSM generation in these application field is proposed. It will be shown as this procedure allows satisfying the needs of the archaeological survey in the production of Solid True Ortho-Photos (STOP).

Citation Download Citation

F. Chiabrando, D. Marenchino, F. Nex, D. Piatti, and F. Rinaudo "UAV systems for photogrammetric recording in archaeological areas: problems, suggestions, and products", Proc. SPIE 7478, Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring, GIS Applications, and Geology IX, 747807 (7 October 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.830412

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