Optimization of Terrestrial Laser Scanning Survey Design for Dynamic Terrain Monitoring
Abstract
Terrestrial laser scanning (lidar) technology offers great potential as a rapid mapping technology for monitoring dynamic terrain evolution at localized scales but there are inherent limitations. Because such systems have limited scanning ranges and are static, multiple scans must be merged together to form a seamless model of the terrain scene. For contiguous mapping of terrain over wide-areas (> few hundred meters) this poses several obstacles that must be overcome. The selected measurement set-up, sampling resolution, and other survey design factors as well as inherent system characteristics will influence the measurement capabilities and efficiency of repeat-coverage surveys for monitoring terrain change. Additionally, relative to airborne lidar, developments in the utilization of terrestrial lidar for terrain mapping have lagged behind. In an effort to develop more effective methods for terrain monitoring with terrestrial lidar, this research investigates the influence of survey design and scan configuration on surface change detection capability with the goal of optimizing data acquisition while minimizing information loss. Results are based on several terrestrial lidar surveys conducted at an experimental watershed maintained by North Carolina State University. From the data, the influence of measurement set-up and system inherent parameters on resultant terrain data are characterized. This provides a better understanding of realistic performance traits for the given system and terrain scene enabling more efficient survey design. Finally, an optimization approach for data acquisition is developed using multiple viewshed analysis constrained by the system performance characteristics and survey design specifications. The resultant method provides a powerful design tool for rapid acquisition of terrain measurements with terrestrial lidar.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010AGUFM.G21A0796S
- Keywords:
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- 1294 GEODESY AND GRAVITY / Instruments and techniques;
- 1815 HYDROLOGY / Erosion;
- 1926 INFORMATICS / Geospatial