Validation of high-precision effects of a movable riverbed simulation using unmanned aerial vehicles and structure from motion

Masatoshi Denda,A Paquier,N Rivière

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20184002055

Abstract

For advanced and strategic management of gravel riverbed restoration and stopping of woodland overgrowth, movable riverbed simulations and vegetation dynamic models that can describe a ‘detailed riverbed materials’ transport’ influencing the vegetation dynamics and estimate the creation area of a gravel riverbed are required. As first steps we verified the hypothesis whether high-accuracy observation data using UAV and SfM improve the accuracy of water flow condition and movable riverbed simulation that can describe the riverbed materials’ transport in detail. In the results, High-precision river morphology using UAVs offers the ability to improve the movable riverbed simulation. And these progresses indicated possibilities of UAV and SfM to develop vegetation dynamics model considering the riverbed materials’ transport.

Highlights

The decrease in natural flood disturbances enhances the disappearance of typical river environmental landscapes, such as the conditions of a gravel riverbed, and promotes the succession to a woodland overgrowth [1]
Japanese river researchers and river engineers have recognised that the transport of riverbed material recreates the gravel riverbed, and hydrodynamic forces, including riverbed materials’ transport, flush and share the riverbed and vegetation via many river-improvement and river-restoration projects
We verified the hypothesis whether high-accuracy observation data using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and structure from motion (SfM) improve the accuracy of water flow condition and movable riverbed simulation that can describe the riverbed materials’ transport in detail

Summary

Introduction

The decrease in natural flood disturbances enhances the disappearance of typical river environmental landscapes, such as the conditions of a gravel riverbed, and promotes the succession to a woodland overgrowth [1]. In Japanese river ecosystems, hydrodynamic forces and sediment transports disturb river morphology, riverbed conditions and vegetation conditions. These natural flood disturbances re-create the natural gravel riverbed conditions and inhibit its succession to a woodland. These natural flood disturbances are an important function to maintain the river ecosystem’s health and discharge capacity. Many river researchers and river engineers presently aim to conserve and restore natural flood disturbance and riverbed materials’ transport to manage Japanese rivers

Objectives

Methods

Results