An Adaptive Visibility Detection Method Based on a UAV-borne Real-time Panoramic Camera

Abstract

Wang, M. and Zhou, S., 2020. An adaptive visibility detection method based on a UAV-borne real-time panoramic camera. In: Zheng, C.W.; Wang, Q.; Zhan, C., and Yang, S.B. (eds.), Air-Sea Interaction and Coastal Environments of the Maritime and Polar Silk Roads. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 99, pp. 282–288. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This paper presents an adaptive visibility detection method based on a UAV-borne real-time panoramic camera and designs a target board with strong absorption properties. One real-time panoramic camera and four target boards are carried by five UAVs. The horizontal visibility values in four vertical directions are measured with the brightness contrast method, and the visibility measurement errors are analysed for adaptation. The baseline length should be adjusted to the position where the minimum visibility error occurs to obtain high precision and refined atmospheric horizontal visibility results. This method uses UAV hovering in the near ground or half sky to measure the visibility, which can avoid the influence of background obstacles and uneven sky background, and even can be applied to the measurement of vertical visibility and slant visibility. Moreover, the inherent visual brightness ratio can be by improving the structure of the artificial target plate, the inherent visual brightness ratio can be increased by improving the structure of the artificial target board.