Abstract. Full-waveform airborne laser scanning data has shown its potential to enhance available segmentation and classification approaches through the additional information it can provide. However, this additional information is unable to directly provide a valid physical representation of surface features due to many variables affecting the backscattered energy during travel between the sensor and the target. Effectively, this delivers a mis-match between signals from overlapping flightlines. Therefore direct use of this information is not recommended without the adoption of a comprehensive radiometric calibration strategy that accounts for all these effects. This paper presents a practical and reliable radiometric calibration r

Segmentation of urban features is considered a major research challenge in the fields of photogrammetry and remote sensing. However, the dense datasets now readily available through airborne laser scanning (ALS) offer increased potential for 3D object segmentation. Such potential is further augmented by the availability of full-waveform (FWF) ALS data. FWF ALS has demonstrated enhanced performance in segmentation and classification through the additional physical observables which can be provided alongside standard geometric information. However, use of FWF information is not recommended without prior radiometric calibration, taking into account all parameters affecting the backscatter energy. This paper reports the implementation o

Registration techniques are still considered challenging tasks to remote sensing users, especially after enormous increase in the volume of remotely sensed data being acquired by an ever-growing number of earth observation sensors. This surge in use mandates the development of accurate and robust registration procedures that can handle these data with varying geometric and radiometric properties. This paper aims to develop the traditional registration scenarios to reduce discrepancies between registered datasets in two dimensions (2D) space for remote sensing images. This is achieved by designing a computer program written in Visual Basic language following two main stages: The first stage is a traditional registration process by de

3D models delivered from digital photogrammetric techniques have massively increased and developed to meet the requirements of many applications. The reliability of these models is basically dependent on the data processing cycle and the adopted tool solution in addition to data quality. Agisoft PhotoScan is a professional image-based 3D modelling software, which seeks to create orderly, precise n 3D content from fixed images. It works with arbitrary images those qualified in both controlled and uncontrolled conditions. Following the recommendations of many users all around the globe, Agisoft PhotoScan, has become an important source to generate precise 3D data for different applications. How reliable is this data for accurate 3D mo

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

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

     Cadastral map environment is directed, more than ever before, towards Artificial Intelligence use to produce fast and accurate maps and keep up with the huge population growth. The traditional approach currently in production of maps is expensive and effort-intensive in addition to be considered as highly time-consuming process.  UAV-based cadastral mapping imagery that use automatic techniques are newly being exploited to accelerate the process of production or updating. The state-of-the-art intelligent algorithms are capable to extract land boundaries from images better than conventional techniques. This paper presents an automatic workflow of cadastral map production based on land boundary and automatic f

Culture heritage reflects nation’s legacy and therefore should be protected from damage in order to pass it to future generations. Recently, such protection can be applied by 3D digitization techniques such as conservation, restoration, documentation, etc. The 3D digitalization of heritage assets has encountered numerous focus in the last two decades due to the development in data capturing techniques and technological advancement in 3D remote sensing (RS) approaches such as photogrammetry and laser scanning. However, the abundance of 3D information resources and spatial data modelling and analysis methods have urged stakeholders to adopt intelligent 3D dat

To date, comprehensive reviews and discussions of the strengths and limitations of Remote Sensing (RS) standalone and combination approaches, and Deep Learning (DL)-based RS datasets in archaeology have been limited. The objective of this paper is, therefore, to review and critically discuss existing studies that have applied these advanced approaches in archaeology, with a specific focus on digital preservation and object detection. RS standalone approaches including range-based and image-based modelling (e.g., laser scanning and SfM photogrammetry) have several disadvantages in terms of spatial resolution, penetrations, textures, colours, and accuracy. These limitations have led some archaeological studies to fuse/integrate multip

Remote sensing data are increasingly being used in digital archaeology for the potential non-invasive detection of archaeological remains. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the capability of standalone (LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry) and integration/fusion remote sensing approaches in improving the prospecting and interpretation of archaeological remains in Cahokia’s Grand Plaza. Cahokia Mounds is an ancient area; it was the largest settlement of the Mississippian culture located in southwestern Illinois, USA. There are a limited number of studies combining LiDAR and aerial photogrammetry to extract archaeological features. This article, therefore, combines LiDAR with photogrammetric data to create new datasets and inv

Incorporating the LiDAR sensor in the most recent Apple devices represents a substantial development in 3D mapping technology. Meanwhile, Apple's Lidar is still a new sensor. Therefore, this article reviews the potential uses of the Apple Lidar sensor in various fields, including engineering and construction, focusing on indoor and outdoor as-built 3D mapping and cultural heritage conservation. The affordable cost and shorter observation times compared to traditional surveying and other remote sensing techniques make the Apple Lidar an attractive choice among scholars and professionals. This article highlights the need for continued research on the Apple LiDAR sensor technology while discussing its specifications and limitations. A

    Terrestrial laser scanners (TLSs) are 3D imaging systems that provide the most powerful 3D representation and practical solutions for various applications. Hence this is due to effective range measurements, 3D point cloud reliability, and rapid acquisition performance. Stonex X300 TOF scanner delivered better certainty in far-range than in close-range measurements due to the high noise level inherent within the data delivered from Time of Flight (TOF) scanning sensors. However, if these errors are manipulated properly using a valid calibration model, more accurate products can be obtained even from very close-range measurements. Therefore, to fill this gap, this research presents a user-oriented target-based calibration routine to

This research reports an error analysis of close-range measurements from a Stonex X300 laser scanner in order to address range uncertainty behavior based on indoor experiments under fixed environmental conditions. The analysis includes procedures for estimating the precision and accuracy of the observational errors estimated from the Stonex X300 observations and conducted at intervals of 5 m within a range of 5 to 30 m. The laser 3D point cloud data of the individual scans is analyzed following a roughness analysis prior to the implementation of a Levenberg–Marquardt iterative closest points (LM-ICP) registration. This leads to identifying the level of roughness that was encountered due to the range-finder’s limitations in close

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 chara

Eye loss may be caused as a result of eye trauma, accidents, or malignant tumors, which leads the patient to undergo surgery to remove the damaged parts. This research examines the potential of computer vision represented by Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry in fabricating the orbital prosthesis as a noninvasive and low-cost technique. A low-cost camera was used to collect the data towards extracting the dense 3D data of the patient facial features following Structure from Motion-Multi View Stereo (SfM-MVS) algorithms. To restore the defective orbital, a Reverse Engineering (RE) based approach has been applied using the similarity RE algorithms based on the opposite healthy eye to rehabilitate the defected orbital precisely

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 characteri