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Evaluation of structure from motion for soil microtopography measurement
Author(s) -
Nouwakpo Sayjro K.,
James Mike R.,
Weltz Mark A.,
Huang ChiHua,
Chagas Isis,
Lima Luiz
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the photogrammetric record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.638
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1477-9730
pISSN - 0031-868X
DOI - 10.1111/phor.12072
Subject(s) - structure from motion , photogrammetry , calibration , remote sensing , orientation (vector space) , elevation (ballistics) , point cloud , environmental science , quality assurance , computer science , geology , geodesy , motion (physics) , mathematics , statistics , computer vision , geometry , engineering , operations management , external quality assessment
Recent developments in low‐cost structure‐from‐motion (SfM) technologies offer new opportunities for geoscientists to acquire high‐resolution soil microtopography data at a fraction of the cost of conventional techniques. However, these new methodologies often lack easily accessible error metrics and hence are difficult to evaluate. In this research, a framework was developed to evaluate a SfM approach for soil microtopography measurement through assessment of uncertainty sources and quantification of their potential impact on overall 3D reconstruction. Standard deviations of camera interior orientation parameters estimated from SfM self‐calibration within five different soil surface models were several orders of magnitude larger than precisions expected from pattern‐based camera calibration. Sensitivity analysis identified the principal point position as the dominant source of calibration‐induced uncertainty. Overall, surface elevation values estimated from both technologies were similar in magnitude with a root mean square ( RMS ) of elevation difference of 0·2 mm. Nevertheless, the presence of deformation in either SfM or traditional photogrammetric point clouds highlights the importance of quality assurance safeguards (such as a judicious choice of control points) in SfM workflows for soil microtopography applications.