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Generation of High‐resolution Three‐dimensional Reconstructions of the Seafloor in Color using a Single Camera and Structured Light
Author(s) -
Bodenmann Adrian,
Thornton Blair,
Ura Tamaki
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of field robotics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.152
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4967
pISSN - 1556-4959
DOI - 10.1002/rob.21682
Subject(s) - underwater , seamount , bathymetry , remote sensing , seafloor spreading , computer science , geology , artificial intelligence , computer vision , remotely operated vehicle , subsea , oceanography
Visual maps of the seafloor can provide objective information to characterize benthic ecosystems and survey the distribution of mineral deposits on spatial scales that cannot be otherwise assessed. This paper proposes a three‐dimensional mapping method based on light sectioning that enables the simultaneous capture of both structure and color from the images of a single camera. The advantages of the method include high and consistent resolution of the bathymetry, and the simplicity of the setup and the algorithm used to process the data it obtains. The hardware requirements for collecting the data are a single camera, a line laser, and a light, making it possible to deploy the mapping device along with other sensors and devices on underwater platforms such as autonomous underwater vehicles and remotely operated vehicles that can log navigation data. The system has been deployed on a total of 11 cruises, among others, to survey manganese‐rich crust deposits on the slopes of Takuyo #5 seamount in the Pacific at depths of more than 2,000 m. In this paper, we present the data that were obtained on one of these cruises.