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Suitability of structure from motion for rock‐slope assessment
Author(s) -
O'Banion Matt S.,
Olsen Michael J.,
Rault Claire,
Wartman Joseph,
Cunningham Keith
Publication year - 2018
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.12241
Subject(s) - smoothing , structure from motion , completeness (order theory) , point cloud , geology , photogrammetry , laser scanning , remote sensing , motion (physics) , artificial intelligence , computer science , computer vision , laser , mathematics , mathematical analysis , physics , optics
This study examines three sites in Alaska with unstable rock slopes that were surveyed using both terrestrial laser scanning ( TLS ) and structure‐from‐motion (SfM) techniques. The datasets were acquired simultaneously and linked to a rigorous survey control network. An accuracy evaluation of the SfM‐derived surface models was performed using the TLS data and numerous reflectorless total station observations collected across the rock slopes. A quality evaluation was conducted to examine differences in point density, model completeness and distributions of morphological properties between the SfM and TLS datasets. The results indicate that SfM is a viable option for unstable rock‐slope assessment when a sufficient number of images with adequate overlap are acquired and the reconstruction is tied to a survey control network. The best results, in terms of accuracy and completeness, were achieved when combining both unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) and terrestrial imagery for the SfM reconstruction. However, issues such as over‐smoothing and geometric inconsistencies bring into question the suitability of SfM for the detection of small changes over time.