Title
An Automated Technique for Generating Georectified Mosaics from Ultra-High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Imagery, Based on Structure from Motion (SfM) Point Clouds
Abstract
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are an exciting new remote sensing tool capable of acquiring high resolution spatial data. Remote sensing with UAVs has the potential to provide imagery at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. The small footprint of UAV imagery, however, makes it necessary to develop automated techniques to geometrically rectify and mosaic the imagery such that larger areas can be monitored. In this paper, we present a technique for geometric correction and mosaicking of UAV photography using feature matching and Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques. Images are processed to create three dimensional point clouds, initially in an arbitrary model space. The point clouds are transformed into a real-world coordinate system using either a direct georeferencing technique that uses estimated camera positions or via a Ground Control Point (GCP) technique that uses automatically identified GCPs within the point cloud. The point cloud is then used to generate a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) required for rectification of the images. Subsequent georeferenced images are then joined together to form a mosaic of the study area. The absolute spatial accuracy of the direct technique was found to be 65-120 cm whilst the GCP technique achieves an accuracy of approximately 10-15 cm.
Year
DOI
Venue
2012
10.3390/rs4051392
REMOTE SENSING
Keywords
Field
DocType
UAV,Structure from Motion (SfM),rectify,georeferencing,mosaicking,point cloud,Digital Terrain Model (DTM)
Structure from motion,Coordinate system,Spatial analysis,Computer vision,Photogrammetry,Remote sensing,Photography,Footprint,Artificial intelligence,Geology,Point cloud,Temporal resolution
Journal
Volume
Issue
Citations 
4
5
78
PageRank 
References 
Authors
5.87
9
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Darren Turner121718.97
Arko Lucieer245546.51
Christopher S. Watson31028.26