Electronic Distance Measurement Research Articles

A New Precise Point Positioning with Ambiguity Resolution (PPP-AR) Approach for Ground Control Point Positioning for Photogrammetric Generation with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are now widely preferred systems that are capable of rapid mapping and generating topographic models with relatively high positional accuracy. Since the integrated GNSS receivers of UAVs do not allow for sufficiently accurate outcomes either horizontally or vertically, a conventional method is to use ground control points (GCPs) to perform bundle block adjustment (BBA) of the outcomes. Since the number of GCPs to be installed limits the process in UAV operations, there is an important research question whether the precise point positioning (PPP) method can be an alternative when the real-time kinematic (RTK), network RTK, and post-process kinematic (PPK) techniques cannot be used to measure GCPs. This study introduces a novel approach using precise point positioning with ambiguity resolution (PPP-AR) for ground control point (GCP) positioning in UAV photogrammetry. For this purpose, the results are evaluated by comparing the horizontal and vertical coordinates obtained from the 24 h GNSS sessions of six calibration pillars in the field and the horizontal length differences obtained by electronic distance measurement (EDM). Bartlett’s test is applied to statistically determine the accuracy of the results. The results indicate that the coordinates obtained from a two-hour PPP-AR session show no significant difference from those acquired in a 30 min session, demonstrating PPP-AR to be a viable alternative for GCP positioning. Therefore, the PPP technique can be used for the BBA of GCPs to be established for UAVs in large-scale map generation. However, the number of GCPs to be selected should be four or more, which should be homogeneously distributed over the study area.

Versatile Modeling Of Deformation (VMOD) Inversion Framework: Application to 20 Years of Observations at Westdahl Volcano and Fisher Caldera, Alaska, US

AbstractWe developed an open source, extensible Python‐based framework, that we call the Versatile Modeling Of Deformation (VMOD), for forward and inverse modeling of crustal deformation sources. VMOD abstracts from specific source model implementations, data types and inversion methods. We implement the most common geodetic source models which can be combined to model and analyze multi‐source deformation. VMOD supports Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), InSAR, electronic distance measurement, Leveling and tilt data. To infer source characteristics from observations, VMOD implements non‐linear least squares and Markov Chain Monte‐Carlo Bayesian inversions, including joint inversions using different sources of data. VMOD's structure allows for easy integration of new geodetic models, data types, and inversion strategies. We benchmark the forward models against other published results and the inversion approaches against other implementations. We apply VMOD to analyze deformation at Unimak Island, Alaska, observed with continuous and campaign GNSS, and ascending and descending InSAR time series generated from Sentinel‐1 satellite radar acquisitions. These data show an inflation pattern at Westdahl volcano and subsidence at Fisher Caldera. We use VMOD to test a range of source models by jointly inverting the GNSS and InSAR data sets. Our final model simultaneously constrains the parameters of two sources. Our results reveal a depressurizing spheroid under Fisher Caldera ∼4–6 km deep, contracting at a rate of ∼2–3 Mm3/yr, and a pressurizing spherical source underneath Westdahl volcano ∼6–8 km deep, inflating at ∼5 Mm3/yr. This and past applications of VMOD to volcanic unrest benefit from an extensible framework which supports jointly inversions of data sets for parameters of easily composable multi‐source models.

Establishment and Evaluation of Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) Calibration Baseline

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Reduced Equations for K UTM Scale Factor and GNSS Usage in Chilean Cadastral Environments

Topographic distances from global navigation systems (GNSS) equipment are being progressively involved in legal land parcel registration applications (Bramanto et al., 2019; Dabove, 2019; Pullar and Donaldson, 2022; Roberts, 2005; Tamrakar, 2013), a practice not entirely reliable from the surveying point of view of legal land registration. GNSS observations expressed as Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, are cartographic projection data and are not exactly what horizontal ground topographic distances indicate, which are valid for land tenure, deeds, rights purposes. A method for converting GNSS positions to horizontal topographic distances in cadastral environments preserving metric accuracy standards fixed for parcel registration according to Chilean authorities, is presented here. Complex equations to determine scale factor K from the UTM projection have been reduced to a set of constant coefficients, allowing replicating electronic distance measurement (EDM) performance in horizontal distances used in other experiences as Australia, by just providing coordinates and observed accuracies. All assumptions are aimed to simplify the property registration procedures in singular geographic environments like Chile, where urban settlements can be found at heights 2,000 m or more, being of utmost relevance to bear in mind differences between projected and ground coordinates. Applied experiences performed near Santiago de Chile at heights of 600 m over the MSL, yielded 3 mm difference in 500 m distance compared to measurements carried out by means of GNSS equipment in static mode.

Parallel Pointing Systems Suitable for Robotic Total Stations: Selection, Dimensional Synthesis, and Accuracy Analysis

Robotic Total Stations (RTS) are fully automated theodolites with electronic distance measurement (EDM) that include a number of additional tools (e.g., camera, laser rangefinder, onboard computer, and tracking software, etc.) enabling them to work autonomously. The added tools make RTSs able to track mobile targets on civil structures thus opening to the use of RTSs in structural monitoring. Unfortunately, the available RTSs are able to track a target up to a motion rate of 3 Hz. Reducing mobile masses is a viable design strategy for extending this frequency border. Such a strategy is pursued in this study by proposing the use of parallel pointing systems (PPS) as basic mechanical architectures for RTSs. The literature on PPSs is reviewed and the applicable PPS architectures are selected. Successively, the selected architectures are sized according to RTSs’ functional requirements, and the positioning precision of the sized mechanisms is evaluated. The result of this study is that there are three PPS architectures suitable for RTSs, whose detailed comparison is also presented.

Analysis of development tendencies of metrological technologies to control rangefinders of an electronic distance measurement instruments

Analysis of development tendencies of metrological technologies to control rangefinders of an electronic distance measurement instruments

Distinguishing shallow from mid-crustal magmatic processes at Soufrière Hills Volcano using Finite Element Modelling and co-analysis of EDM and GPS data

We modelled ground deformation at Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV), using data collected by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory from 2010–2019. We investigate the combined use of Electronic Distance Measuring (EDM) and Global Positioning System (GPS) to distinguish shallow from mid-crustal magmatic processes and their surface deformation profiles. Our results suggest that the EDM network responds predominantly to changes in the shallow magmatic system, whereas GPS records variation at mid-crustal levels. In addition, we show that the behaviour of the EDM network, and of the GPS site HERM, can be explained by underpressurisation in a shallow dyke conduit orientated NNW–SSE, while the mid-crustal system was still undergoing pressurisation. The modelled dyke may be responding to magma cooling and contraction associated with a previous intrusion. We find that geodetic monitoring coverage of multiple flanks within 1 km of the vent can improve our understanding of shallow magmatic system processes with asymmetric deformation fields.

Multi-approach integration of ALS and TLS point clouds for a 3-D building modeling at LoD3

Registering, documenting, updating, revitalizing, expanding, and renovating old urban buildings require proper documentation. The adoption of 3D survey techniques is essential to grant efficiency and agility to such purposes. This article discusses a multi-approach integration of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data collected by aerial and terrestrial platforms, meant for the 3D modeling of a building at Level of Detail 3. The selected building presents challenging elements for modeling, such as blocks with different heights and indented facades. It is located on the campus of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) in Curitiba, Brazil, on a site with irregular terrain and surrounded by trees, what made the terrestrial laser scanning process difficult. For its three-dimensional reconstruction, data from an Aerial Laser Scanning system were integrated with data from a Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). Based on the 3D modeling, an as-is Building Information Modeling model of the building’s exterior was created. To validate the results, measurements of the building were obtained by means of an Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) device and they were then compared with measurements extracted from the point cloud-based BIM model. The results demonstrate that there was a correspondence between the EDM and the LiDAR-derived measures, attaining a satisfactory statistical agreement. The article focuses on the accuracy of LiDAR models for the cadastral update of buildings, providing information for decision making in documentation projects and construction interventions. The main contribution of this work consists in a multi-approach workflow for delivering an effective and precise solution for accomplishing an as-is BIM documentation, highlighting advantages, drawbacks, and the potential of this set of methods for integrating multi-source LiDAR point clouds.

A New Approach for Structural Monitoring Based on Terrestrial Laser Scan Data Using Control Planes

Laser scanning is a survey method that enables the obtaining of several data points on surfaces through the observation of horizontal and vertical angles and electronic distance measurements. The result of these observations is a set of 3D points named point clouds, which can be obtained from scans using total stations or the Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS). Currently, the use of TLS in geodetic structural deformation monitoring activities is under evaluation, since this technique can provide a greater number of points in a shorter period, when compared to scans performed by total stations. In this research, the feasibility of using control planes for geodetic monitoring was investigated in a controlled laboratory environment, exploring the current trend of parameterization of point clouds. From the development of an Experimental Plane Control (EPC) containing a flat surface that could be inclined in a controlled way, simultaneous scans with TLS and total station were carried out at different inclinations of the control plane. Both surveys were done in frontal scan mode (minimum plane inclination of 0º53’ and maximum plane inclination of 3º28’) and in oblique mode (plane inclination of 1º09’), where the plane inclination angles were generated by the rotation in EPC base, considering the first plane position as reference to inclination calculating. From parametrization of point clouds, a new approach was developed to test the significance of the estimated inclination angle of the plane in relation to a reference position. The results showed that it is possible to confirm that the inclined angles were statistically significant, but that the TLS scanning position can interfere in the determination of these data for monitoring purposes.

Volcanic and Seismic Source Modeling: An Open Tool for Geodetic Data Modeling

Volcanic and Seismic source Modeling (VSM) is an open-source Python tool to model ground deformation. VSM allows the user to choose one or more deformation sources of various shapes as a forward model among sphere, spheroid, ellipsoid, rectangular dislocation, and sill. It supports multiple datasets from most satellite and terrestrial geodetic techniques: Interferometric SAR, GNSS, leveling, Electronic Distance Measurements, tiltmeters, and strainmeters. Two sampling algorithms are available: one is a global optimization algorithm based on the Voronoi cells and yields the best-fitting solution and the second follows a probabilistic approach to parameters estimation based on the Bayes theorem and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. VSM can be executed as Python script, in Jupyter Notebook environments, or by its Graphical User Interface. Its broad applications range from high-level research to teaching, from single studies to near real-time hazard estimates. Potential users range from early-career scientists to experts. It is freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/EliTras/VSM) and is accompanied by step-by-step documentation in Jupyter Notebooks. This study presents the functionalities of VSM and test cases to describe its use and comparisons among possible settings.

A Study and Design of Two Lane with Paved Shoulder in Green Filed Corridor, By Using Civil 3D

Geometric design is important component, which have a majority of effect while designing a new alignment of the road as per present trends, which is skeleton of any alignment of road. It is combination of cross-sectional elements, horizontal alignments, sight distance considerations and vertical alignment details, attributes of intersection. It also considers other macro factors like design speed, terrain or topography, traffic plying and expected, design hourly volume and estimated capacity, along with environmental factors. While aligning a new road, it should be short, easy, safe and economic and it is expected to be comfort and safe for the movement. Rural road is a road network with a low volume traffic and low design speed which provides market access to farms, employment and connects different communities. Rural roads are classified into Another District Road (ODR) and Village Road (VR). These roads are able to reach the group of villages in rural area of the country and to provide connectivity. It is owned by local authorities. AutoCAD Civil 3D is a software application used by civil engineers and professionals to plan and design the projects for building constructions, road engineering projects, water include construction of dams, ports, canals, embankments etc. AutoCAD civil 3D associate design and production drafting, greatly reducing the time it takes to implement design changes and evaluate multiple situations. A change made in one place immediately updates an entire project, helping your complete projects faster, smarter and more accurately. Civil 3D provides to create 3D models of the project and helps to adopt for both small- and large-scale projects. It helps to imagine the things in 3D visualization, reduces the time and budget. It also inherits many benefits of using civil 3D. Total station is a combination of Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM), an electronic digital theodolite, and a computer in one unit used to measure horizontal angles, vertical angles and sloping distances of the objects. It takes a part by providing all the three co-ordinates of the observed points that is northing, easting, and elevation. These points are further transferred into AutoCAD civil 3D. The term is used in Carriageway, Shoulder, Earthen Shoulder, Typical Cross Section, Utility Corridor, Horizontal and Vertical Alignment, Sight Distance, Design Speed, Topography, Intersection, Traffic Survey etc. The object of the project was to demonstrate how roadway geometric design can be Design in Green Filed Corridor a very short time with much ease and precision. Also, to understand the Green Field Design and its aspects. the road design procedure using AutoCAD Civil 3D has been presented. Manual geometric design of the same road was also performed, the results of which was compared favourably with that of AutoCAD Civil 3D. Also, In this study is to examine in detail the availability of road/highways transport infrastructure and working of the roads/highways at national level. To identify and analyze the problems associated with the roads/highways in India with respect to design per say.

IMPROVEMENT THE MODELLING OF ATMOSPHERIC EFFECTS FOR ELECTRONIC DISTANCE MEASUREMENT (EDM): ANALYSIS OF AIR TEMPERATURE, ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF AIR

The atmosphere is an undeniable source of error for any geodetic instruments. Surveyors require to have an accurate approximation of distance measurements in order to accurately determine the 3D coordinate of points. Electronic Distance Measurements (EDMs) are employed to measure accurate range to the target. They are typically functioning by laser in the domain of light or near infrared of electromagnetic spectrum (EM). Snell’s law has proved propagating wave through passing the different layers of atmosphere is deviated. This phenomenon is called the refractivity of wave. This deviation is introduced by different intersection between the beam and the object surface at different epochs of atmospheric change. By possessing the knowledge of group refractive index, it is possible to estimate the value of correction in ppm for measured distances caused by the variations in atmospheric elements. The changes in three components of air, temperature, pressure and humidity, in this study will be considered.

LANDSLIDE MONITORING USING CLOSE RANGE PHOTOGRAMMETRY

This paper presents the preliminary results of a simulation study on the production of low cost Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for a landslide study area in Seri Iskandar, Perak. The important objective of this paper is to present the potentiality of Close Range Photogrammetry (CRP) as a data acquisition tool in producing a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) by using data from surface measurement. This method was applied using stereopair photographs captured data from ground level detection, or known as close range photogrammetry with the use of a digital camera mounted on a tripod as a tool for data collection. Close Range Photogrammetry (CRP) applications is useful for mapping of areas that are difficult and risky to point manpower on terrain that consist of steep and dangerous slopes. Conventional methods require measurement using Electronic Distance Measuring (EDM), but this method is very costly and requires a survey team placed on the land site area. The research data were carried out with two different epoch data. The outcome proves that CRP can produce DEM with less cost compared to other methods.

A New Analysis of Caldera Unrest through the Integration of Geophysical Data and FEM Modeling: The Long Valley Caldera Case Study

The Long Valley Caldera, located at the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada range in California, has been in a state of unrest since the late 1970s. Seismic, gravity and geodetic data strongly suggest that the source of unrest is an intrusion beneath the caldera resurgent dome. However, it is not clear yet if the main contribution to the deformation comes from pulses of ascending high-pressure hydrothermal fluids or low viscosity magmatic melts. To characterize the nature of the intrusion, we developed a 3D finite element model which includes topography and crust heterogeneities. We first performed joint numerical inversions of uplift and Electronic Distance Measurement baseline length change data, collected during the period 1985–1999, to infer the deformation-source size, position, and overpressure. Successively, we used this information to refine the source overpressure estimation, compute the gravity potential and infer the intrusion density from the inversion of deformation and gravity data collected in 1982–1998. The deformation source is located beneath the resurgent dome, at a depth of 7.5 ± 0.5 km and a volume change of 0.21 ± 0.04 km3. We assumed a rhyolite compressibility of 0.026 ± 0.0011 GPa−1 (volume fraction of water between 0% and 30%) and estimated a reservoir compressibility of 0.147 ± 0.037 GPa−1. We obtained a density of 1856 ± 72 kg/m3. This density is consistent with a rhyolite melt, with 20% to 30% of dissolved hydrothermal fluids.

Topographic Survey and Modelling using Photogrammetry: A Comparison against Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) Method

Topographic surveying has been an important companion to the civil engineer in the development of human civilization since ancient history. It is used to map terrestrial features on the ground along with its contour heights. Application of this can be seen in the establishing land boundaries and setting out construction projects. Conventional methods of surveying range from ground field methods such as the use of total station to aerial surveys such as photogrammetry or LiDAR. This study looks to assess the feasibility of aerial photogrammetry using UAVs as a replacement to the conventional EDM survey using total stations. This objective was achieved by carrying out both photogrammetric and EDM surveys on a 350m long stretch of highway. The resulting survey data were processed to produce two comparative TIN surfaces of the highway which were then superimposed together and compared for accuracy. It could be observed that on plan view, both surfaces were quite closely matched with a maximum difference of less than 0.4m and a low standard deviation. In elevation view, however, the differences were larger with maximums of 5.0m, accompanied by large standard deviations. RMS error analysis carried out also correlate with the findings.

Temperature Acquisition System for Real Time Application of First Velocity Correction by EDM (Electronic Distance Measurement)

The first velocity correction is used to correct the measured distance affected by the velocity variation of the electromagnetic wave propagation in a medium. This correction depends on the refractive index of the propagation medium and reference refractive index. The influence of the temperature in the medium refractive index is critical; some estimates establish that variation 1°C causes 1ppm of error in distances. In the measuring processes with total stations, the temperature is usually collected at only one point, for example, in the position where the measuring instrument is setup. However, the wave propagates in a medium of non-constant temperature, where the extremes of the line can present variations and thus this measurement in only one point could be non-representative. In this context, it was developed a low-cost real-time temperature acquisition system. This system provides the temperature values in different locations allowing their monitoring through the time. Experiments realized during the geodetic monitoring of a dam, show variations up to 8°C among geodetic points on the dam and around it. An analysis was development to evaluate the influence of temperature variations on monitoring distances and geodetic coordinate of a 2d network with different approaches (temperature modeling). The results shows different values for distances (1.0 mm) and coordinates (0.5 mm) depending of the approach choose.

Past, Present and Future Monitoring at the Vallcebre Landslide (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

Works carried out to monitor the displacements of the Vallcebre landslide (Pyrenees range, NE of Spain) since 1987 are presented. The landslide, which extends over an area of about 0.8 km2 and affects more than 20 × 106 m3, has experienced displacements of up to one meter per year in some points and periods. It has been periodically monitored since 1987, using a wide range of surface and in-hole techniques: triangulation with theodolite, Terrestrial Photogrammetry, Electronic Distance Measurement, GNSS-GPS, inclinometers, wire extensometers, piezometers, DInSAR (satellite) and GBSAR (terrestrial). The results obtained using new techniques are compared with those obtained with GNSS-GPS and a wire extensometer, and checked against fixed stable points. From this comparison, we conclude that even though wire extensometers and inclinometers may have the highest precision, in practice, all systems play potentially valuable roles in providing meaningful data for monitoring at different study stages. In the near future, we envisage the installation of a Distributed Fiber Optic array to monitor the risk with a certain space and time continuity. After the evaluation of the precision and advantages of the different methods, the complementary use of some of them is strongly recommended.

Automatic crack recognition for concrete bridges using a fully convolutional neural network and naive Bayes data fusion based on a visual detection system

Regular inspections of bridge substructures are very important for evaluating bridge health, since early detection and assessment offer the best chances of bridge repair. However, the traditional inspection methods of checking defects with visual features cannot meet engineering needs sufficiently. Although deep-learning methods have recently demonstrated a remarkable improvement in image classification and recognition, there are still difficulties, such as the countless parameters and large model training sets needed bythese methods. In this paper, we propose a novel crack extraction algorithm for automatic segmentation of cracks and noise using multi-layer features extracted from a fully convolutional network and a naive Bayes data fusion (NB-FCN) model. The bridge images in both the training and testing datasets are taken using an in-house designed high-precision image acquisition device, called Bridge Substructure Detection 10 (BSD-10). BSD-10 is applied to collect 7200 images from ten existing bridges under different illuminants and distances. After gathering the crack datasets, the crack and noise models of the NB-FCN are trained, respectively, with multiple iterations. Next, the skeleton and continuous boundary of a crack are recognized. Then the crack length and width are calculated using electronic distance measurement to verify the error rate of the proposed method. Compared to up-to-date machine-learning-based algorithms, i.e. the crack tree algorithm, the random structured forests algorithm, the relatively competitive convolutional neural networks algorithm, and the fusion convolutional neural network algorithm, the significant superiority of the NB-FCN algorithm in terms of recognition accuracy, computation time, and error rates is illustrated based on different types of crack images of handwriting, peel off, water stains and repair traces. The NB-FCN algorithm is verified with 7200 datasets of bridge substructures collected from 20 in-service bridges under various circumstances. In general, the recognition results show that the proposed algorithm demonstrates a remarkable performance compared to other recent algorithms.

On the application of nature-inspired grey wolf optimizer algorithm in geodesy

AbstractNowadays, solving hard optimization problems using metaheuristic algorithms has attracted bountiful attention. Generally, these algorithms are inspired by natural metaphors. A novel metaheuristic algorithm, namely Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), might be applied in the solution of geodetic optimization problems. The GWO algorithm is based on the intelligent behaviors of grey wolves and a population based stochastic optimization method. One great advantage of GWO is that there are fewer control parameters to adjust. The algorithm mimics the leadership hierarchy and hunting mechanism of grey wolves in nature. In the present paper, the GWO algorithm is applied in the calibration of an Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) instrument using the Least Squares (LS) principle for the first time. Furthermore, a robust parameter estimator called the Least Trimmed Absolute Value (LTAV) is applied to a leveling network for the first time. The GWO algorithm is used as a computing tool in the implementation of robust estimation. The results obtained by GWO are compared with the results of the ordinary LS method. The results reveal that the use of GWO may provide efficient results compared to the classical approach.

Applying unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry for measuring dimension of structural elements in traditional timber building

The goal of this study is to evaluate the application of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry to reconstruct a 3D model for dimensional measurements of traditional timber buildings. To evaluate the reliability of UAV photogrammetry, the dimensional measurements of a sample timber building from electronic distance measurement and measuring tape methods are compared to the results from UAV photogrammetry. To calibrate UAV photogrammetry parameters such as image shooting rate, camera angle, flight speed, and flight height, different variations of these parameters are applied. The best reconstruction for a timber structure is found at an image shooting rate of 2 s, flight speed of 1 m/s, and a camera angle of 45 degrees. Using these parameters, the structural elements of a traditional timber building are measured. Differences in the dimensional measurements of the columns and beams between the conventional methods and UAV photogrammetry ranges from 0.21% to 0.91%.