Kite Aerial Photography Research Articles

Participatory Mapping of Mid-Holocene Anthropogenic Landscapes in Guyana with Kite Aerial Photography

The nature and degree of human modifications of humid tropical forests in Amazonia have been widely debated over the past two decades. Many regions provide significant evidence of late Holocene anthropogenic influence by settled populations, but the antiquity of human interventions is still poorly understood due to a lack of earlier archaeological sites across the broad region, particularly pertaining to the mid-Holocene. Here we report on Amerindian occupations spanning the period from ca. 6000-3000 BP along the middle Berbice River, Guyana, including early evidence in Amazonia of cultural practices widely considered indicative of settled villages, notably terra preta or “black earth” soils, mound construction, and ceramic technology. These more settled occupations of the mid-Holocene initiated a trajectory of landscape domestication extending into historical times, including larger-scale late Holocene social formations. Collaborative research with local indigenous communities, including archaeological excavations, landscape mapping using kite based aerial photography, and three-dimensional photogrammetry, was designed to promote the decolonization of archaeological knowledge production and encourage indigenous ownership of Amerindian history and cultural heritage in Guyana.

Mountain glacier-to-rock glacier transition

Abstract In many of the world's high mountain systems, glacier recession in response to climate change is accompanied by a paraglacial response whereby glaciers are undergoing a transition to rock glaciers. We hypothesise that this transition has important implications for hydrological resources in high mountain systems and the surrounding lowlands given the insulating effects that debris cover can have on glacier ice. Despite this, however, little is known about how this transition occurs nor how quickly, which glaciers are liable to transition, the factors driving this process and the water supply implications that follow. This paper assesses the role of glacier and rock glacier textural properties from a deglaciating region of the Himalayas to begin to address some of these issues. We investigated six landsystems on the spectrum from glaciers-to-rock glaciers in the Khumbu Himal, Nepal, and sampled for clast shape and roundness during 2016 and 2017. Kite aerial photography was additionally used to capture aerial images of an ongoing glacier-to-rock glacier transitional landform (Chola Glacier) to elucidate the surface geomorphic features of a fully transitioned landform. This image data, processed using a structure-from-motion multi-view stereo photogrammetry approach, revealed the presence of a spatially coherent ridge-and-furrow surface morphology in the lower reaches of Chola Glacier, which is potentially indicative of an ongoing glacier-to-rock glacier transition. We show that glacier-derived and slope-derived clast roundness significantly statistically different (Kolmogorov–Smirnov two-sample test: Dmax = 0.62, two-tail p

Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) for rip current identification in Parangtritis Beach

Rip current is being the major cause of the deadly accidents in Parangtritis Beach. This occasion can be prevented by mapping and monitoring the spatial pattern of rip currents at the location which rip currents are located. Rip current location can be identified by remote sensing data or aerial observations, such as Kite Aerial Photography (KAP). This platform is low cost and can be performed in coastal area due to the massive winds there. KAP has been widely used as the platform for mapping, and some of them are implemented in coastal area. This study aims to find out the ability of Kite aerial photography to identify the rip current location in Parangtritis Beach. From several flight tests, the photo mosaic of Parangtritis Beach has been generated after the KAP has flown at the minimum 3 m/s of the wind speed. KAP can be the great potentials in coastal monitoring, especially for rip current monitoring because it is low-cost, low-energy and provides actual information.

Tracking Fine-Scale Structural Changes in Coastal Dune Morphology Using Kite Aerial Photography and Uncertainty-Assessed Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry

Coastal dunes are globally-distributed dynamic ecosystems that occur at the land-sea interface. They are sensitive to disturbance both from natural forces and anthropogenic stressors, and therefore require regular monitoring to track changes in their form and function ultimately informing management decisions. Existing techniques employing satellite or airborne data lack the temporal or spatial resolution to resolve fine-scale changes in these environments, both temporally and spatially whilst fine-scale in-situ monitoring (e.g., terrestrial laser scanning) can be costly and is therefore confined to relatively small areas. The rise of proximal sensing-based Structure-from-Motion Multi-View Stereo (SfM-MVS) photogrammetric techniques for land surface surveying offers an alternative, scale-appropriate method for spatially distributed surveying of dune systems. Here we present the results of an inter- and intra-annual experiment which utilised a low-cost and highly portable kite aerial photography (KAP) and SfM-MVS workflow to track sub-decimetre spatial scale changes in dune morphology over timescales of between 3 and 12 months. We also compare KAP and drone surveys undertaken at near-coincident times of the same dune system to test the KAP reproducibility. Using a Monte Carlo based change detection approach (Multiscale Model to Model Cloud Comparison (M3C2)) which quantifies and accounts for survey uncertainty, we show that the KAP-based survey technique, whilst exhibiting higher x, y, z uncertainties than the equivalent drone methodology, is capable of delivering data describing dune system topographical change. Significant change (according to M3C2); both positive (accretion) and negative (erosion) was detected across 3, 6 and 12 months timescales with the majority of change detected below 500 mm. Significant topographic changes as small as ~20 mm were detected between surveys. We demonstrate that portable, low-cost consumer-grade KAP survey techniques, which have been employed for decades for hobbyist aerial photography, can now deliver science-grade data, and we argue that kites are well-suited to coastal survey where winds and sediment might otherwise impede surveys by other proximal sensing platforms, such as drones.

Color-Infrared Kite Aerial Photography with a Mirrorless Digital SLR Camera

Color-infrared (CIR) photography has been utilized often for many scientific and environmental applications since the mid-twentieth century. For the past two decades, the authors have developed techniques for CIR kite aerial photography, first with an analog (film) camera, then with an early digital camera, and now with a much improved digital camera. The Sony α6000 model is a compact, digital, mirrorless, single-lensreflex (SLR) camera that is specially modified for CIR; it records blue, green, and nearinfrared wavelengths that are depicted respectively as blue, green, and red in false-color format. Active, emergent vegetation appears orange in this format, in contrast to the red-pink color of vegetation in traditional CIR images. The Sony α6000 camera provides 24-megapixel images that are visually sharp and clear. Kites, blimps, and UAS (drones) have different technical characteristics and legal status and, thus, play distinct roles for small-format aerial photography.

Using kites for 3-D mapping of gullies at decimetre-resolution over several square kilometres: a case study on the Kamech catchment, Tunisia

Abstract. Monitoring agricultural areas threatened by soil erosion often requires decimetre topographic information over areas of several square kilometres. Airborne lidar and remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) imagery have the ability to provide repeated decimetre-resolution and -accuracy digital elevation models (DEMs) covering these extents, which is unrealistic with ground surveys. However, various factors hamper the dissemination of these technologies in a wide range of situations, including local regulations for RPAS and the cost for airborne laser systems and medium-format RPAS imagery. The goal of this study is to investigate the ability of low-tech kite aerial photography to obtain DEMs with decimetre resolution and accuracy that permit 3-D descriptions of active gullying in cultivated areas of several square kilometres. To this end, we developed and assessed a two-step workflow. First, we used both heuristic experimental approaches in field and numerical simulations to determine the conditions that make a photogrammetric flight possible and effective over several square kilometres with a kite and a consumer-grade camera. Second, we mapped and characterised the entire gully system of a test catchment in 3-D. We showed numerically and experimentally that using a thin and light line for the kite is key for a complete 3-D coverage over several square kilometres. We thus obtained a decimetre-resolution DEM covering 3.18 km2 with a mean error and standard deviation of the error of +7 and 22 cm respectively, hence achieving decimetre accuracy. With this data set, we showed that high-resolution topographic data permit both the detection and characterisation of an entire gully system with a high level of detail and an overall accuracy of 74 % compared to an independent field survey. Kite aerial photography with simple but appropriate equipment is hence an alternative tool that has been proven to be valuable for surveying gullies with sub-metric details in a square-kilometre-scale catchment. This case study suggests that access to high-resolution topographic data on these scales can be given to the community, which may help facilitate a better understanding of gullying processes within a broader spectrum of conditions.

Mapping Topographic and Vegetation Bioshield Mass Recovery along the Shoreline Using Kite Aerial Photography

High-resolution aerial photographs coupled with infra-red images are useful for creating terrain models and vegetation mapping. Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) is very reliable for acquiring low altitude aerial images for low-cost and high spatial resolution. This study examined post-tsunami relief in different coastal ecosystems (i.e., mangrove, coastal shrub and sand dune vegetation) in terms of vegetation bioshield mass and sea level rise scenarios. A KAP platform was created using two light-weight automatic cameras with dual bandpass Red-NIR filters, Picavet stabilizing rig, GPS tracker and a Parafoil kite. The high resolution KAP images were processed to build mosaic images, orthorectified and geo-referenced DEMS using structure-from-motion (SfM) and remote sensing software (Agisoft PhotoScan and ENVI respectively). KAP has been utilized for coastal mapping under two scenarios: (i) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for vegetation bioshield mass estimation (ii) Digital Elevation Model for sea level rise. We produced 1:1500 scale orthorectified maps of coastal habitats representing coastal shrubs, mangroves and sand dune vegetation. The image processing produced a point cloud with an average density of 35 points/m2; a DEM with 17 cm resolution; and an orthophoto mosaic with an average resolution of 4.3 cm. The preliminary results of this case study demonstrate the application of KAP for costal habitat vulnerability assessment with an advantage of KAP as low-cost, high spatial/temporal resolution, and limited regulation. In conclusion, KAP has a great potential to bridge science with high spatial/temporal resolution in-situ data for environmental monitoring, where our researchers can utilize the data within a low-cost budget.In the future, comparisons of mapping data from different techniques can be improved with a KAP platform. Keywords: Kite Aerial Photography, Coastal habitat, Keyword, NDVI, Structure-from- motion

The Challenges of Processing Kite Aerial Photography Imagery with Modern Photogrammetry Techniques

The Challenges of Processing Kite Aerial Photography Imagery with Modern Photogrammetry Techniques

High altitude kite mapping: evaluation of kite aerial photography (KAP) and structure from motion digital elevation models in the Peruvian Andes

ABSTRACTResearching glacier-melt impacted hydrology in the Andes motivates us to collect on-demand, high-resolution multispectral imagery, and digital elevation models (DEMs). While adverse conditions in these remote mountain locations present technical challenges for motorized unmanned aerial systems (UAS), consistent katabatic winds allow for testing lightweight Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) as an alternative. We use a KAP platform at 4000 msl in the Peruvian Andes to survey a 0.23 km2 pro-glacial alpine meadow and wetland system. Using structure from motion we develop a 2 cm orthomosaic, dense point cloud with 101 points/m2, and 5–100 cm DEMs. Accuracy of the DEM was found to be equivalent to a 1 m aerial lidar DEM; however, the denser point cloud derived from the KAP platform retained better definition of fine surface features. The high resolution, robustness and low acquisition cost of these platforms indicates strong potential for the monitoring of fine scale and rapid changes in mountain environments.

Geomorphic changes of a coral shingle cay measured using Kite Aerial Photography

Measurements of geomorphic change in the intertidal zones of coral reefs are made using a variety of remote sensing and in-situ techniques, where variations in the coverage and spatial-temporal precision achieved are directly related to the cost of data acquisition. We present a novel, low-cost technique for measuring high-resolution changes in reef environments based on Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) and photogrammetry/structure-from-motion post-processing. KAP images are used to measure fine-scale changes in intertidal topography and sediment texture characteristics, including rubble particle size, of a coral shingle cay at One Tree Island, Great Barrier Reef in the context of storm activity. Validation using Real Time Kinematic DGPS demonstrates the ability to measure topographic elevation with an error of 5.53cm (RMSE) and a spatial resolution of 5cm per point, an accuracy/resolution that is superior to airborne LiDAR and equivalent to terrestrial LiDAR, but at a fraction of the equipment cost.

Rapid Environmental Changes in the Nature Conservancy Wetland at Cheyenne Bottoms, Kansas: A Review 2002–2015

Cheyenne Bottoms is the premier wetland of Kansas; it consists of marshes, meadows, mud flats, channels, and pools within an oval-shaped closed depression. Cheyenne Bottoms has suffered a series of droughts and floods during the past century. During extended droughts, the bottoms may dry up completely. Conversely flooding may fill much of the basin with shallow, ephemeral lakes. Since 2002, we have conducted annual surveys during the growing season using various forms of remote sensing and ground observations. In particular, we have utilized low-height kite and blimp aerial photography to document changing conditions in The Nature Conservancy (TNC) marsh-complex environments. During the early twenty-first century, a series of drought-flood cycles took place; dry intervals culminated in late 2006 and early 2013 and were followed soon after by major floods. Wet intervals are characterized by abundant surface water, influx of sediment and nutrients, numerous migrating shorebirds and waterfowl, expansion of e...

Geodetic surveying as part of archaeological research in Sudan

<p>Surveying is an important part of any archaeological research. In this paper we focus on the archaeological research in north Sudan (6<sup>th</sup> Nile cataract) and the surveying methods applicable under the local conditions. Surveying in the Third World countries is affected by the political situation (limited import of surveying tools), local conditions (lack of fixed points, GNSS correction signal), inaccessible basemaps and fixed point network. This article describes the methods and results obtained during the three archaeological seasons (2011-2014). The classical surveying methods were combined with KAP (Kite Aerial Photography) to obtain the desired results in form of archaeological maps, detailed orthophoto images and other analyses results.</p>

Kite aerial photography: a low-cost method for monitoring seabird colonies

Obtaining aerial high-resolution images of bird nesting colonies using remote-sensing technology such as satellite-based remote sensing, manned aircraft, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles might not be possible for many researchers due to financial constraints. Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) provides a possible low-cost alternative. We collected digital images of ground-nesting seabirds (i.e., cormorants and penguins) in two different ecosystems using a kite-based platform equipped with consumer-grade digital cameras with time-lapse capability to obtain estimates of breeding population size. KAP proved to be an efficient method for acquiring high-resolution aerial images. We obtained images of colonies of seabirds ranging in size from hundreds to several hundreds of thousands breeding pairs during flights lasting from a few minutes up to three hours, from flat to very steep areas, and in contrasted wind conditions (from 0.5 to 6 Beaufort force). KAP is an efficient low-cost method for acquiring high-resolution aerial images and an alternative to ground-based censuses, especially useful in rugged areas. Fotografía aérea utilizando papalotes o chiringas: método de bajo costo para monitorear colonias de aves marinas El obtener imágenes aéreas de alta resolución de colonias de aves marinas utilizando tecnología de monitoreo remoto, tal como fotos a través de satélites, vehículos aéreos manejados, vehículos aéreos a control remoto, puede que no sea posible para algunos investigadores por su alto costo. La fotografía aérea utilizando papalotes provee de una alternativa de bajo costo. Coleccionamos imágenes digitales de colonias de aves marinas anidando (ej. cormoranes y pingüinos), en dos ecosistemas diferentes utilizando una plataforma en un papalote equipado con una cámara digital, con capacidad para tomar imágenes en lapsos de tiempo, para hacer estimados del tamaño de la población. La cámara sobre el papalote probó ser un método eficiente para adquirir imágenes aéreas de alta resolución. Obtuvimos imágenes de colonias de aves marinas que variaron en tamaño desde varios cientos a miles de parejas de individuos. Los vuelos duraron desde varios minutos a tres horas, tanto en terrenos planos como sumamente inclinados y bajo diferentes condiciones del viento (desde 0.5 a 6 fuerza de Beaufort). El método del papalote es uno efectivo y de bajo costo para adquirir imágenes aéreas de alta resolución y una alternativa a censos terrestres, especialmente en terrenos accidentados.

Mapping with strings attached: Kite aerial photography of Durai Island, Anambas Islands, Indonesia

A 1:2,000 scale orthophoto map of the southern coast of Durai Island, Indonesia, was created using kite aerial photography and computer vision software. Photographs were taken using a consumer-grade digital camera suspended from the line of a kite that was towed by boat along Durai's coastline. Three hundred and fifty-seven aerial photographs were combined into a mosaic, orthorectified and georeferenced using Agisoft PhotoScan software with ground control points collected via a GPS field survey. The map was created in conjunction with underwater ecological surveys of the coral reefs surrounding the island, and it supports ongoing monitoring and educational outreach efforts. Kite aerial photography provides a low-cost, portable, and technologically straightforward means of collecting large-scale aerial imagery in situations where a conventional, aircraft-based photographic survey is not practical.

Kite aerial photography (KAP) as a tool for field teaching

Kite aerial photography (KAP) is proposed as a creative tool for geography field teaching and as a medium to approach the complexity of readily available geodata. The method can be integrated as field experiment, surveying technique or group activity. The acquired aerial images can instantaneously be integrated in geographic information systems and used for reflection and discussion. The use of KAP in field teaching aims at conveying spatial perception and observational skills in real environments to later enable students to interpret remotely sensed data from a nadir perspective. KAP thus allows adding a new vantage point to the fieldwork experience.

Kite aerial photography for low-cost, ultra-high spatial resolution multi-spectral mapping of intertidal landscapes.

Intertidal ecosystems have primarily been studied using field-based sampling; remote sensing offers the ability to collect data over large areas in a snapshot of time that could complement field-based sampling methods by extrapolating them into the wider spatial and temporal context. Conventional remote sensing tools (such as satellite and aircraft imaging) provide data at limited spatial and temporal resolutions and relatively high costs for small-scale environmental science and ecologically-focussed studies. In this paper, we describe a low-cost, kite-based imaging system and photogrammetric/mapping procedure that was developed for constructing high-resolution, three-dimensional, multi-spectral terrain models of intertidal rocky shores. The processing procedure uses automatic image feature detection and matching, structure-from-motion and photo-textured terrain surface reconstruction algorithms that require minimal human input and only a small number of ground control points and allow the use of cheap, consumer-grade digital cameras. The resulting maps combine imagery at visible and near-infrared wavelengths and topographic information at sub-centimeter resolutions over an intertidal shoreline 200 m long, thus enabling spatial properties of the intertidal environment to be determined across a hierarchy of spatial scales. Results of the system are presented for an intertidal rocky shore at Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Potential uses of this technique include mapping of plant (micro- and macro-algae) and animal (e.g. gastropods) assemblages at multiple spatial and temporal scales.

Development and Deployment of an Intelligent Kite Aerial Photography Platform (iKAPP) for Site Surveying and Image Acquisition

Aerial photographs and images are used by a variety of industries, including farming, landscaping, surveying, and agriculture, as well as academic researchers including archaeologists and geologists. Aerial imagery can provide a valuable resource for analyzing sites of interest and gaining information about the structure, layout, and composition of large areas of land that would be unavailable otherwise. Current methods of acquiring aerial images rely on techniques such as satellite imagery, manned aircraft, or more recently unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and micro‐UAV technologies. These solutions, while accurate and reliable, have several drawbacks. Using satellite imagery or UAVs can prove to be very expensive, costing tens of thousands for images. They can also prove to be time‐consuming and in some cases have constraints on use, such as no‐fly zones. In this paper, we present an alternative low‐cost, versatile solution to these methods, an intelligent kite aerial photography platform (iKAPP), for the purpose of acquiring aerial images and monitoring sites of interest. We show how this system provides flexibility in application, and we detail the system's design, mechanical operation, and initial flight experiments for a low‐cost, lightweight, intelligent platform capable of acquiring high‐resolution images. Finally, we demonstrate the system by acquiring images of a local site, showing how the system functions and the quality of images it can capture. The application of the system and its capabilities in terms of capture rates, image quality, and limitations are also presented. The system offers several improvements over traditional KAP systems, including onboard “intelligent” processing and communications. The intelligent aspect of this system stems from the use of self‐image stabilization of the camera, the advantage being that one is able to configure the system to capture large areas of a site automatically, and one can see the site acquisition in real time, all of which are not possible with previous methods of AP. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Assessing vegetation cover on the date of satellite-derived start of spring

Time series of satellite imagery are commonly used to study and model phenology. To use these models, their results must be compared with time series of areal field data, and vegetation condition must be assessed relative to model predictions. Field data and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data for corn fields in Illinois, USA, were collected throughout the growing season, including vegetation cover fraction (VCF) derived from kite aerial photography (KAP). The mean height of corn on the estimated start of spring (SOS) date was just over 2 cm and the mean VCF on SOS was nearly 10%, indicating that satellite models of phenology lag behind field-based measures of phenology like crop emergence. The relationships between MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and both KAP NDVI (coefficient of determination (R 2) = 0.918, p < 0.000) and KAP VCF (R 2 = 0.920, p < 0.000) were strong, highlighting the importance of areal field data in phenology studies.

Kite aerial photography

The Photogrammetric RecordVolume 24, Issue 126 p. 118-119 Kite aerial photography First published: 01 June 2009 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-9730.2009.00535.xCitations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume24, Issue126June 2009Pages 118-119 RelatedInformation

Challenge of Infrared Kite Aerial Photography: A Digital Update

Kite aerial photography (KAP) is a means to acquire large-scale, highly detailed imagery for various environmental applications. Previous color-infrared KAP was developed for film-based cameras, but is now effectively obsolete. The authors have built a KAP rig and field tested a digital color-infrared camera, the Tetracam ADC, which produces results that are generally comparable with color-infrared film photography. Field testing was conducted at the Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve of The Nature Conservancy in central Kansas. The resulting images are high-contrast photographs that depict emergent vegetation in bright red-pink colors and show water bodies nearly black, as would be expected in color-infrared imagery. Color-visible digital cameras produce better apparent spatial resolution, whereas the Tetracam ADC camera provides an extended spectral range into the near-infrared. For detailed environmental field investigations involving kite aerial photography, a combination of color-visible and color-infrared ca...