In recent years, the extensive need for high-quality acquisition platforms for various 3D mapping applications has rapidly increased, especially in sensor performance, portability, and low cost. Image-based UAV sensors have overwhelming merits over alternative solutions for their high timeline and resilience data acquisition systems and the high-resolution spatial data they can provide through extensive Computer Vision (CV) data processing approaches. However, applying this technique, including the appropriate selection of flight mission and image acquisition parameters, ground settings and targeting, and Structure from Motion- Multi-View Stereo (SfM-MVS) post-processing, must be optimized to the type of study site and feature characteristics. This research focuses on optimizing the application of UAV-SfM photogrammetry in an urban area on the east bank of the Tigris River in the north region of Iraq following optimized data capturing plan and SfM-MVS photogrammetric workflow. The research presented the practical application of optimized flight planning, data acquisition, image processing, accuracy analysis, and evaluation based on ground truth targets designed for the proposed optimal routine. This includes investigating the influence of the number and distribution of GCPs, flying heights, and processing parameters on the quality of the produced 3D data. The research showed the potential of low-budget and affordable UAV devices to deliver robust 3D products in a relatively short period by demonstrating the value of UAV-based image techniques when contributed to CV algorithms. The results showed powerful outcomes with validation errors reaching a centimeter-level from 100 m flying height when applying the optimized flight plan settings and the appropriate selection of the number and distribution of GCPs. The study established a streamlined UAV mapping procedure, demonstrated the viability of UAV use for 3D mapping applications, offered suggestions for enhancing future applications, and offered clues as to whether or not UAVs could serve as a viable alternative to conventional ground-based surveying techniques in accurate applications.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can provide valuable spatial information products for many projects across a wide range of applications. One of the major challenges in this discipline is the quality of positioning accuracy of the resulting mapping products in professional photogrammetric projects. This is especially true when using low-cost UAV systems equipped with GNSS receivers for navigation. In this study, the influence of UAV flight direction and camera orientation on positioning accuracy in an urban area on the west bank of the Euphrates river in Iraq was investigated. Positioning accuracy was tested in this study with different flight directions and camera orientation settings using a UAV autopilot app (Pix4Dcapture software
... Show MoreThis research develops a new method based on spectral indices and random forest classifier to detect paddy rice areas and then assess their distributions regarding to urban areas. The classification will be conducted on Landsat OLI images and Landsat OLI/Sentinel 1 SAR data. Consequently, developing a new spectral index by analyzing the relative importance of Landsat bands will be calculated by the random forest. The new spectral index has improved depending on the most three important bands, then two additional indices including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and standardized difference built-up index (NDBI) have been used to extract paddy rice fields from the data. Several experiments being
... Show MoreThere is a growing need for up-to-date data for rapid decision making in the modern digital age. Recently, the need for high-resolution topographic maps is highly demanding by most mapping clients. With the maturing automatic structure from mobile and multi-view stereoscopy software, small organizations and individuals now have the ability to make their own surveys based on mobile mapping devices. This study looks at how feasible using low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as a mobile mapping device for photogrammetric topographical surveys. It is showing the impact of different UAV flight settings and parameters on the accuracy of mapping products. An automatic scenario for photogra
One wide-ranging category of open source data is that referring to geospatial information web sites. Despite the advantages of such open source data, including ease of access and cost free data, there is a potential issue of its quality. This article tests the horizontal positional accuracy and possible integration of four web-derived geospatial datasets: OpenStreetMap (OSM), Google Map, Google Earth and Wikimapia. The evaluation was achieved by combining the tested information with reference field survey data for fifty road intersections in Baghdad, Iraq. The results indicate that the free geospatial data can be used to enhance authoritative maps especially small scale maps.
With the increasing demands to use remote sensing approaches, such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, and LiDAR in archaeological applications, there is still a limited number of studies assessing the differences between remote sensing methods in extracting new archaeological finds. Therefore, this work aims to critically compare two types of fine-scale remotely sensed data: LiDAR and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) derived Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. To achieve this, aerial imagery and airborne LiDAR datasets of Chun Castle were acquired, processed, analyzed, and interpreted. Chun Castle is one of the most remarkable ancient sites in Cornwall County (Southwest England) that had not been surveyed and explored
... Show MoreTo evaluate and improve the efficiency of photovoltaic solar modules connected with linear pipes for water supply, a three-dimensional numerical simulation is created and simulated via commercial software (Ansys-Fluent). The optimization utilizes the principles of the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics by employing the Response Surface Method (RSM). Various design parameters, including the coolant inlet velocity, tube diameter, panel dimensions, and solar radiation intensity, are systematically varied to investigate their impacts on energetic and exergitic efficiencies and destroyed exergy. The relationship between the design parameters and the system responses is validated through the development of a predictive model. Both single and mult
... Show MoreThe deployment of UAVs is one of the key challenges in UAV-based communications while using UAVs for IoT applications. In this article, a new scheme for energy efficient data collection with a deadline time for the Internet of things (IoT) using the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is presented. We provided a new data collection method, which was set to collect IoT node data by providing an efficient deployment and mobility of multiple UAV, used to collect data from ground internet of things devices in a given deadline time. In the proposed method, data collection was done with minimum energy consumption of IoTs as well as UAVs. In order to find an optimal solution to this problem, we will first provide a mixed integer linear programming m
... Show MoreThis paper presents the design of a longitudinal controller for an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This paper proposed the dual loop (inner-outer loop) control based on the intelligent algorithm. The inner feedback loop controller is a Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) to provide robust (adaptive) stability. In contrast, the outer loop controller is based on Fuzzy-PID (Proportional, Integral, and Derivative) algorithm to provide reference signal tracking. The proposed dual controller is to control the position (altitude) and velocity (airspeed) of an aircraft. An adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter (AUKF) is employed to track the reference signal and is decreased the Gaussian noise. The mathematical model of aircraft
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