UAV for Photogrammetry

This section focuses on remote sensing technologies in precision farming. We examine three major platforms: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), satellites, and ground-based proximal systems (tractor-or boom-mounted). UAV payloads and flight basics, satellite-derived products such as NDVI and thermal imagery, and practical examples of proximal sensors are discussed. The emphasis is on applied perspectives, benefits, challenges, and integration with farm decisionmaking.

This section introduces the two main categories of sensors in precision farming: in-situ sensing and remote sensing. Their definitions, taxonomy, and key performance characteristics (accuracy, scale, cadence) are explained, together with the practical advantages and disadvantages of each approach in terms of cost, applicability, and integration into agricultural systems. Concrete examples from farm practice are included to illustrate how these technologies are used in real decision-making.

The development of diverse methods and technologies has firmly established the creation of geospatial information about objects as a recognized area of academic inquiry. The field of three-dimensional (3D) model generation has seen significant advancements, driven by an increasing demand for precise digital twins and lifelike, intricate three-dimensional models. In this context, the integration of high-quality 3D models with high-resolution textures has become a pinnacle of interest, particularly for applications that require precision and a lifelike appearance. The capacity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to swiftly capture high-resolution aerial imagery at a comparatively low cost and with minimal labor involvement has established them as an indispensable tool. In a similar manner, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is widely used due to its ability to produce dense and highly precise 3D point clouds. Still, both technologies come with inherent limitations. UAV-based methods that rely on passive remote sensing face challenges when it comes to detecting objects in areas that are partially or entirely obstructed, such as dense tree canopies, understory vegetation, or structures with roofs. Active remote sensing techniques, such as TLS, face several limitations, including high operational costs, limited mobility, and difficulties in capturing the upper sections of objects. This study aims to create accurate, high-quality, and intricately detailed 3D textured mesh models by integrating UAV and TLS data. Conducting a comparison between models that rely solely on UAV data and those that integrate UAV and TLS data fusion highlights the strengths and weaknesses inherent in each approach. The analysis emphasizes the impact of environmental complexity, such as the presence of a dense canopy and understory conditions, as well as object geometry, on the overall performance of 3D modeling.

UAVs flight are actually planned only on the experience of pilots, acquiring most of time three or more time the images needed. This is a time consuming and autonomy reducing procedure. These last two aspects are strategic when extensive survey are needed as in the case of large city center and thus when in emergency situations. For example: historic center of L'Aquila city suffered big damages from the well known main seismic event on 6th April 2009. Causes and modality of the collapse of some buildings are still under investigation. The earthquake caused more than 300 fatalities, thousands of injuries, extensive and severe damage to buildings, structures and infrastructures. About 16.000 buildings are completely or partially destroyed: about 80,000 residents were evacuated and more than 25,000 remained homeless. During the emergency a continuous monitoring of all building is crucial in order to guarantee that each structure at least will not worsen its stability until the final reconstruction is completed. To achieve a complete reconstruction a detailed survey of all building is performed using different techniques and sensors, between them the geomatic techniques as total stations, near photogrammetry, and laser scanners. Even if all these techniques can perfectly respond to many crucial post hazard needs, there are still many monitoring that cannot be completely carried on with traditional techniques. Some difficulties are related to the morphology and the architectural particularities typical of medieval city centers like the one of L'Aquila. For these reasons, in this work, a survey methodology using multirotor UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) is proposed; UAVs are fully remote controlled and so they will allow high quality photogrammetric image capturing roofs and facades of structures in urban centers. In particular we'll illustrate a scientific package that was implemented specifically for this task of planning the flight to improve the optimization of the path to obtain a stereoscopic vision.

In recent years, remote sensing of the Earth's surface has greatly expanded in scope. This method has gained widespread use and has become a key part of archaeological research, providing a non-destructive approach. Within the framework of remote sensing for archaeological purposes, techniques such as aerial photography of archaeological sites in the visible spectrum, digital photogrammetry, and the creation of various spatial 2D and 3D models-such as orthophoto mosaics, digital surface models (DSM), and digital elevation models (DEM, DTM)have been developed. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) help integrate data collected from satellite or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images, along with subsequent processing and analysis. This study aims to highlight the development and application of UAV technologies and GIS, which have proven to be very useful, non-destructive methods in archaeological research. The analysis is based on information from scientific literature, showcasing the achievements of international researchers in this field, and field research carried out in the period 2022-2023. UAV flights were conducted over terrain in northern Bulgaria and Germany, and the data collected were processed using GIS software. UAV-based orthophotography proves to be a reliable alternative to traditional in situ archaeological surveys. In archaeology, GIS is used in two main ways: at a micro level, it is employed in surface surveys and archaeological excavations by improving the accuracy and efficiency of data collection and processing; and at a macro level, it is used to analyze individual sites in a broader geographical context or to identify patterns across multiple sites in a given region.

The site of Sarcapos is located in the hamlet of S. Maria di Villaputzu, at the mouth of Flumendosa river, along the south-eastern coast of Sardinia. Since 2019, it has been systematically investigated by a team of University of Bologna. Today, this context is exposed to different environmental risks, resulting from the proximity of the riverbed and potential damage caused by specific climatic events. This situation calls for reasoned solutions for the proper conservation and enhancement of the archaeological remains, as well as for adequate accessibility, considering the distance from the modern urban center. To address these issues, the application of new technologies has played a key role in both conservation strategies and fruition, involving every phase of field research – from topographical mapping to the generation of 3D models through photogrammetric methods. The overcoming, in the virtual environment, of the destructive nature of the excavation action offers opportunities never explored in pre-digital research for data preservation, enabling continuous access and usability of the archaeological heritage over time. The integration of innovative methodologies has enabled a particular focus on the potential of 3D reconstructions and archaeogames. The implementation of multimedia documentation techniques, combined with elements of gaming and virtual reality, opens new perspectives for the enhancement of the Sarcapos site and, more broadly, Cultural Heritage. This approach enables the development of immersive and interactive experiences, offering particularly effective educational tools for new generations and contributing to a broader accessibility of the archaeological heritage.

This article explores the fundamental differences between Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Heritage Building Information Modelling (hBIM or HBIM), focusing on their applications, methodologies, and objectives. While BIM is primarily used for digital modelling and management of modern buildings and infrastructure, hBIM is a specialized methodology for the documentation, analysis, and conservation of cultural heritage. Key aspects such as the use of parametric vs. non-parametric models, the integration of historical sources and scanned data, and the role of both approaches in architecture, restoration, and construction are examined.

The delay in the physical progress of construction creates additional costs, missed deadlines, and quality issues. The research aimed to estimate the physical progress of the project by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and building information modeling (BIM). The methodology comprised capturing 848 high-resolution images of the Civil Engineering Laboratory construction site at the National University of Jaen, Cajamarca, Peru, using the Phantom 4 RTK drone. The photographs were processed using Agisoft 2.0.1 software, resulting in a point cloud. This was then imported into ReCap Pro 2023 software, which was used to assess the quality of the points. The Revit 2023 software was subsequently utilized to establish the phase parameters, linking the BIM model with the point cloud, filtering the model, and eventually exporting it to the Power BI 2023 software. The work's estimated progress utilizing the proposed methodology was 42.82%, which was not statistically significant compared to the Public Works Information System (INFOBRAS) of 43.14%. This allows for the automation of customary processes, the identification of crucial issues, and prompt decision-making. The study's originality lies in the suggestion of integrating aerial imagery with drones and BIM modeling for the real-time and precise estimation of work progression. This method provides a precise and effective substitute for traditional techniques for gauging the tangible advancement of projects.

This paper presents a structured workflow for importing, accurately positioning, and publishing 3D models in ArcGIS Pro. The methodology integrates 3D object models, digital surface models (DSM), and orthophotos to ensure spatial accuracy. Correct positioning of 3D data enhances applications ranging from urban planning and environmental analysis to cultural heritage preservation. The proposed workflow is illustrated with practical examples in Albania using the official national coordinate system (ETRS_1989_Albania_2010 / VCS-EGM2008_height). Results and Discussion The proposed workflow resulted in accurate placement of 3D models, verified against orthophotos and DSM. The methodology reduces positional error and ensures interoperability with national datasets. Key strengths:-Reproducibility: Clear steps allow replication in other regions or projects.-Flexibility: Applicable for urban planning, environmental analysis, tourism visualization, and cultural heritage documentation.-Scalability: Suitable for single-building projects or city-wide 3D mapping. Challenges identified include:-Need for high-resolution DSM for optimal accuracy.-Dependence on precise ground control points for reference alignment.-Potential processing overhead for large datasets. Conclusions This paper provides a practical, step-by-step workflow for importing, aligning, and publishing 3D models in ArcGIS Pro. By grounding the process in Albania's official coordinate system, the methodology ensures spatial reliability for diverse geospatial applications. Future work may involve:-Integration with AI-based 3D reconstruction models.-Automation of offset calculations through Python scripting.-Validation of positional accuracy against ground surveys.

Background: Precision farming has significantly advanced the agricultural sector by enabling real-time canopy monitoring and crop condition evaluation, thus facilitating precise management strategies to enhance yields. This study investigated the use of dronederived vegetation indices (VIs) for assessing spatial variability in crop conditions, offering a more cost effective and practical alternative to satellite data. Methods: The field experiment was conducted during the Kuruvai season (July-November 2023) on a short-duration rice variety CO 55. Several vegetation indices viz., BGI, CI, EVI, GNDVI, MCARI, MSAVI, NDRE and NDVI were calculated to predict chlorophyll content and correlated with the measured SPAD values. Result: The results showed that indices like MCARI, GNDVI and NDVI had strong positive correlations with SPAD values, with MCARI exhibiting the highest correlation (R= 0.914) and an R² value of 0.836. The findings underscore the effectiveness of using dronederived indices for precise chlorophyll estimation, which is crucial for variable rate fertilizer application in precision agriculture.

Honduras is among the ten largest palm oil producers in the world. Accurately detecting the current plantation status and oil palm distribution is crucial to optimize the planting layout. However, current information on single oil palm trees in Honduras is scarce. Here, we used submeter-resolution RGB satellite images in 2022 to detect the spatial distribution and single oil palm tree in Honduras with the four-direction gradient difference (FGD), single-tree feature extraction, and double-ring detection methods. In the accuracy validation zones, the recall, precision, and F1-score metrics for the spatial distribution of oil palm were 86.50%, 86.57%, and 86.53%, respectively; counting accuracy for single oil palm trees was 86.75%; and localization accuracy was approximately 6 m. We estimated 0.25 million hectares (ha) of oil palm plantation area in Honduras, corresponding to 28.27 million trees and an average density of 113 trees/ha. Furthermore, we categorized planted land into highly or moderately suitable zones for future expansion. Among the 0.25 million ha of potentially available land, the highly and moderately suitable zones represented 10 501 and 242 120 ha, respectively, with the potential to carry approximately 28.55 million oil palms. For future oil palm expansion, priority should be given to highly suitable zones. This study not only characterized the distribution and single oil palm properties in Honduras but also suggested potentially suitable zones for future plantation expansion, thereby providing important methodological references and data support to assess the impact of oil palm planting on the ecological environment and socioeconomic aspects at the country scale.

Absolute localization of a flying UAV on its own in a global-navigation-satellite-system (GNSS)-denied environment is always a challenge. In this paper, we present a landmark-based approach where a UAV is automatically locked into the landmark scene shown in a georeferenced image via a feedback control loop, which is driven by the output of an aerial image registration. To pursue a real-time application, we design and implement a speeded-up-robust-features (SURF)based image registration algorithm that focuses efficiency and robustness under a 2D geometric transformation. A linear UAV controller with signals of four degrees of freedom is derived from the estimated transformation matrix. The approach is validated in a virtual simulation environment, with experimental results demonstrating the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed UAV self-localization system.

The automation of the photogrammetry workflow was successfully demonstrated using a sample dataset of columnar cacti, and two sample sets from Rio Verde Archaeology. It significantly improved the efficiency and scalability of the processing pipeline. The script streamlined key photogrammetry tasks, from image alignment to 3D model export, reducing manual intervention and processing time. We also learned a similar script can be used with Artec Eva LiDAR software. The script was then used in the Photogrammetry & Digital Preservation Course where students were challenged to expand the use of the script, some advanced steps included batch processing. Datasets Two distinct datasets were used to test and refine the script: Cactus Specimen Dataset (Albeke Collection) • Captured using a DJI FC220 drone • 43 JPEG images at 4000 × 3000 pixels • Provided a controlled and uniform dataset • Ideal for initial testing of core automation steps like image alignment and mesh generation RVAP Dataset (2022-2023 Field Seasons) • Captured with a Sony Alpha 7 DSLR camera • 84 images of a tooth artifact (2768 × 1560 pixls) • 32 images of a ceramic dog bowl (6000 × 4000 pixels) • File types: JPEG and TIFF • Presented more complexity with variable lighting, textures, and shapes

The Summer 2025 offering of COMP 4790: Photogrammetry and Digital Preservation at the University of Wyoming was a focused three-week field-based course held at the Neltje Center. Students engaged in the digital documentation of 72 artifacts, resulting in 189 individual scans using a range of imaging technologies including terrestrial LiDAR, DSLR photography, drone-based imaging, and iPad-based scanning tools leveraging LiDAR capability. The course emphasized hands-on training in digital preservation workflows, from image capture through 3D model generation and post-processing. Seven models were successfully cleaned and prepared for prototyping using both FDM and resin-based 3D printers. A key innovation in the course was the development and deployment of a Python-based automation script for batch processing photogrammetry data, which was presented at the 2025 UCGIS Conference. The course also piloted student-driven contributions to scripting and workflow optimization. This intensive field experience provided students with applied skills in digital heritage documentation and contributed to ongoing research and preservation efforts at the Neltje Center.

The evolution of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has revolutionized multiple domains including defense, agriculture, disaster management, and surveillance. To operate UAVs effectively, Ground Control Station (GCS) software serves as a critical interface that facilitates real-time monitoring, control, and data visualization. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a modular Ground Control Station (GCS) software for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), developed using the Qt framework and C++. The system integrates a UAV simulator with TCP-based communication to enable real-time telemetry visualization, image transmission, and video streaming. Key features include a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying telemetry data, Google Maps-based UAV tracking, and efficient multimedia processing. Performance evaluations demonstrate lowlatency telemetry updates (50-100 ms), rapid image decoding (30-50 ms), and stable video playback (30 FPS) with minimal resource usage (60-80 MB RAM, 12-18% CPU). The modular architecture facilitates future enhancements, such as multi-UAV control, live video streaming, and AI-driven analytics. This work provides a lightweight, customizable GCS solution tailored for academic, research, and prototyping applications, contributing to improved UAV operational efficiency, safety, and accessibility in aerospace engineering.

İnsansız hava araçlarının (İHA) operasyonel kabiliyetleri, konum, hız ve zamanlama hizmetleri sağlayan küresel navigasyon uydu sistemlerine (GNSS) yapısal düzeyde yüksek derecede bağımlıdır. Ancak GNSS mimarisinin elektromanyetik spektrumda düşük güçlü, açık ve şifrelenmemiş sinyaller üzerinden çalışması, sistemleri spektrum temelli saldırılara karşı yapısal olarak savunmasız hale getirmektedir. Bu çalışmada, GNSS'in elektromanyetik spektrum kaynaklı en kritik iki tehdit vektörü olan jamming ve spoofing saldırıları, mühendislik düzeyinde teknik analizle ele alınmaktadır. Literatürdeki deneysel çalışmalar, saha raporları ve matematiksel modeller temelinde yapılan bu inceleme, GNSS zafiyetlerinin yalnızca navigasyon sistemlerinde değil, aynı zamanda zaman senkronizasyonuna dayalı ADS-B yayınları, geofencing, sürü algoritmaları ve hava trafik entegrasyon mimarilerinde zincirleme sistemik hata oluşumuna yol açtığını ortaya koymaktadır. Elde edilen bulgular, GNSS temelli sistemlerin güvenliğinin sağlanabilmesi için teknik, donanımsal ve regülasyon temelli çok katmanlı çözümlerin acil bir gereklilik olduğunu göstermektedir.

Due to on-going global warming, extreme storm-surges are expected to threaten a greater number of coastal communities worldwide. However, global and regional climate simulations of extreme events are still not accurate enough to respond to the growing needs of the local decision makers to prepare for these rising hazards. Here, we present a new methodology using (sub-)kilometre-scale coupled atmosphere-ocean-wave models and demonstrate the feasibility to provide meter-scale assessments of the impact of climate change on storm-surge hazards. As a proof of concept, we show that sea-level variations and distributions can be derived at the climate scale in the Adriatic Sea small lagoons and bays. Following these preliminary results, we expect that the newly developed methodology could lead to more targeted mitigation strategies of the local storm-surge hazards in regions of the world particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise and atmospherically driven extreme events.

Destructive meteotsunamis are known to occur along the eastern Adriatic coastal areas and islands (Vilibić and Šepić, 2009). The temporal lag between the offshore generation of meteotsunamis due to specific atmospheric conditions and the arrival of a dangerous nearshore propagating wave at known locations is of the order of tens of minutes to a couple of hours. In order to reduce the coastal risk for the coastal communities, an early warning system must rely on the ability to detect these extreme storms offshore with in-situ measurements and to predict the hydrodynamic response nearshore via numerical models within this short time lag.

Registrar correctamente las alturas de las nubes de puntos pasa por una tarea de la cual depende todo el proceso de ajuste: la selección de los puntos de control. Tradicionalmente, cada levantamiento es asegurado con vértices a los que deben ajustarse los datos obtenidos; de igual forma en diversos casos son empleados puntos derivados de procesos topográficos o fotogramétricos de alta precisión. Sin embargo, al tratarse de nubes de puntos de alta densidad, en ocasiones el proceso de ajuste entra en contradicción con los propios puntos de control en zonas con una alta desviación estándar, lo que produce un falso registro altimétrico de los vértices que componen la escena. El presente trabajo propone como solución un método para la selección de puntos de control para el ajuste altimétrico de nubes de puntos capaz de discriminar aquellos vértices que pudieran introducir errores en registro vertical. Para ello se emplean tres parámetros que inciden de manera directa al proceso de interpolación de las alturas: el radio que establece la región de búsqueda, el número de elementos mínimo en la vecindad local y la máxima variación altimétrica permitida. Además, los resultados pueden someterse a un segundo filtro que elimina aquellos puntos que entran en discordancia con las escenas a ajustar. El resultado de la aplicación del método no solo reduce el número de puntos de control, sino que disminuye los tiempos de cómputo a la vez que aumenta la precisión del proceso de ajuste altimétrico.

Esploratore e alpinista in tre continenti, storico e storico dell'arte, scrittore e giornalista, collezionista e mercante d'arte, fondatore di musei e politico, Sir e Barone: incredibile a dirsi, ma il nostro personaggio è stato tutto questo… Da parte mia l'ho particolarmente apprezzato per uno di questi aspetti: il suo storico affresco sulle Svalbard, il primo nella letteratura dell'arcipelago. Più volte per i miei lavori ho infatti consultato: No Man's Land, a History of Spitsbergen from its discovery in 1596 to the beginning of the Scientific Exploration of the Country (1906).
Explorer and mountaineer on three continents, historian and art historian, writer and journalist, collector and art dealer, founder of museums and politician, Sir and Baron: incredible as it may seem, our character was all of this… For my part, I particularly appreciated him for one of these aspects: his historic fresco on Svalbard, the first in the literature of the archipelago. Later I would learn that he was also a great explorer and mountaineer. One of the greatest existing between the 19th and 20th centuries. After all, it was precisely inside Svalbard that he would carry out an extraordinary exploit, the first in history, both in terms of exploration and the more strictly mountaineering phase. In fact, his ascents would also be the first to be carried out in the Arctic… All of this during his “crossing” of Spitsbergen, the largest island, from west to east.

John Davis nasce nel 1550 a Sandridge, vicino a Dartmouth, nel Devon. Molto presto inizia a navigare, anche perché come vicini di casa ha i fratelli Gilbert, Humphrey e Adrien (farà diversi viaggi con quest'ultimo) e il loro fratellastro Walter Raleigh, che ha la sua stessa età. In futuro tutti e tre diventeranno grandi ed avventurosi navigatori-esploratori, con relazioni sociali che giungono fino alla Regina Elisabetta I. Suo amico personale è anche un certo John Dee, grande astronomo e matematico. Un simile background, è facile intuirlo, gli spalancherà fin da ragazzo il mondo delle esplorazioni, della cartografia, della scienza…

Il presente lavoro è l’ideale continuazione dell’articolo sul “Passaggio a Nord-Ovest”, pubblicato sul numero di dicembre del 2007 della Rivista Marittima (pp. 45 - 52). Infatti per via del cambiamento climatico globale mai prima d’ora lo studio di Poli e ghiacci ha assunto un’urgenza senza pari. Da quando nel 1881-84 si svolse il Primo Anno Polare, straordinario ed antesignano esempio di cooperazione scientifica internazionale della storia. Poiché la partecipazione di dodici paesi fece sì che furono inviate numerose spedizioni nelle due regioni Polari, dove si innalzarono basi scientifiche e si effettuarono ricerche ed osservazioni. A quanto pare per mancanza di finanziamenti l’Italia non potrà partecipare con i suoi ricercatori al Quarto Anno Polare Internazionale. Proprio quando si impone all’umanità un’accelerazione della ricerca scientifica ed un fattivo impegno di tutti i paesi del mondo...
This work is the ideal continuation of the article on the "North-West Passage", published in the December 2007 issue of the Maritime Magazine (pp. 45 - 52). In fact, due to global climate change, the study of poles and ice has never before taken on an unparalleled urgency. Since the First Polar Year took place in 1881-84, an extraordinary and forerunner example of international scientific cooperation in history. Since the participation of twelve countries meant that numerous expeditions were sent to the two polar regions, where scientific bases were established and research and observations were carried out. Apparently, due to lack of funding, Italy will not be able to participate with its researchers in the Fourth International Polar Year. Exactly when an acceleration of scientific research and an active commitment of all countries of the world are required....

1 Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Italy, sbiolchi@units.it 2 ENEA, Roma, Italy 3 Departmentof Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Italy, 4 Department of Geography, University of Malta 5 Department of Biology, University of Malta, 6 Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta 7 Department of Earth and Geoenvironmental Sciences, University of Bari, Italy 8 Studio geologi associati T.S.T, Messina, Italy

U ovom radu prikazane su osnovne odrednice izrade digitalnog ortofota, koristenjem odgovarajucih programskih paketa. Digitalni ortofoto izrađen je na bazi crno - bijelih aerofotosnimaka (M ~ 1 : 20 000), pridobivenih tijekom ciklickog snimanja Republike Hrvatske. Buduci da se ove snimke nalaze na tržistu uz izrazito pristupacnu cijenu, a sumarstvu mogu pružiti razmjerno velik broj informacija, primarni cilj ovoga rada bio je ocijeniti tocnost geokodiranja digitalnog ortofota, odnosno Osnovne državne karte (ODK). Rezultati provedene analize upucuju na minimalna odstupanja geokodiranih listova ODK-e, tj. kontrolnih tocaka u odnosu na vrijednosti analognih izvornika. Također, tocnost geokodiranja digitalnog ortofota zadovoljavajuca je za primjenu u sumarstvu Republike Hrvatske. Stoga se preporucuje izrada digitalnog ortofota prilikom izrade svake gospodarske osnove (redovne revizije), ali po mogucnosti sa snimkama krupnijeg mjerila, s tim da se kontrolnim tockama prekriju cijele snimke...

Classical methods for navigation of autonomous mobile robots often fail in orchards with dense inter-row vegetation such as tall grass and protruding branches. Since robustness and ease of use are essential to the adoption of innovative technology, this can be a hindrance for the development of new types of robotic services. At the same time, the use of unmanned aerial systems for monitoring applications in horticulture is increasing. In this study we analyse whether this data can be used to derive navigation maps and graphs of orchards, even in conditions where classical navigation methods fail. To answer this question, we developed and analysed an automated approach that derives maps with distinct levels of detail from unmanned aerial system imagery for robot navigation in orchards. We test our approach on an apple tree orchard with missing plants, and a mixed-berry orchard with strong inter-row vegetation and overarching branches. We generate voxel maps, 2D grid maps and topological maps and introduce the concept of structure maps. These enhance the existing row structure of the orchards. We show that our method for grid map computation generalises to different crop types without retraining, while providing grid maps that are on-par with, or better than current machine learning based approaches with mean IoUs of 0.87 to 0.97. While the structure maps show limitations in areas without any trees or plants, the derived paths show mean absolute errors equal to or less than 0.12 m compared to GNSS-based references, which is accurate enough for many agricultural applications.

The advance in human-robot interaction brings out novel applications of the disaster rescue operations. Especially, the concept of search and rescue (SAR) assisted robot operations plays an extensive role in the natural hazards, such as earthquake and wild fires. Particularly, the SAR operations in the water-based drowning due to floods and boat capsize disaster are expensive and not fast. This paper presents a survey on various SAR based remotely operated vehicle's (ROV) related to airborne, under and surface of the water, such as unmanned marine vehicles (UMV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). In addition, the performance analysis of each UMV such as EyeROV TUNA, Saif Seas, iBubble, DTG3, Trident, Fathom One and SEAOTTER-2, is listed which helps to select the right UMV for the rescue operation at different water depths. Also discussed various SAR based UAVs like DJI Phantom-MAVIC 2, YUNEEC-H520 Hexacopter, Microdrones MD4-1000, DSLRProsMatrice 210 RTK V2 and AltiGator'sXena Drone for the flood and boat capsize operations. However, the usage of Syma X8 Pro UAV for the flood operations are worthy than Sea King SAR Chopper, which is a cost-effective operation.

The mutation of spaces observed in the Katangese Copper Belt (KCB) causes significant topographical changes. Some colonial geodetic markers are easily noticeable on many of the hills making up the KCB. These hills are subject to mining which ruins the completeness of the network of triangulations: geometric and trigonometric Katangese. In order to keep control of the latter, the study shows on the one hand the possibility of using SRTM data (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) in the monitoring of the macro-change of the reliefs, from 442 positions, and on the other hand, an indirect (remote) inventory method of the existing geodetic markers, by restoring the mapping of the said triangulation. Statistical and spatial analyses of paired samples of the 442 individuals allowed the study to observe the negative and positive altimetric variations at the locations of 79 geodetic markers, in an area of approximately two square degrees. In both cases, the research considers that the altimetric variations would exclude the physical existence of certain geodetic markers at their positions, and that we do not find the slightest information relating to their official relocations.

This report describes the current progress of an emergent research and academic project between 3 Steves Winery and the Drone Technology program at Las Positas College. This project aims to understand better how low-altitude remote sensing data collected with small commercial drones can support vineyard operations and business goals of a small < 10-acre vineyard. With a collaborative mindset, we aim to develop cost-effective management practices to increase labor efficiency and affect product volume and quality. This project will offer students a year-long real-life case study where their research skills can be developed and sharpened. The results will mutually benefit the college and the wider wine-growing community.

Modern sustainable agricultural production trends pose a need to change production technology processes with the application of techniques, and tools that cause less environmental pollution and contribute to ensuring health safety in general. Precision agriculture can be defined as an agricultural production process that includes the application of information technology and various types of sensors, satellite positioning, and monitoring of farming machinery. Aerial remote sensing is regarded as one of the most crucial technologies for smart and precision agriculture. This minireview aims to summarize the applications of drones in precision agriculture with special reference to crop monitoring and pest management. Drone equipped with modern capabilities like Artificial Intelligence integrated systems with multispectral cameras help the farmers to observe aerial images of crops in real time. Camera-equipped drones use advanced image data analysis tools to identify diseased or defective plants which assists the farmer in crop monitoring. Also, the fully automatic pesticide spraying system analyzes real-time data and is capable of spot spraying. The use of drone-borne sprayers in the field increases coverage, chemical effectiveness, and make spraying operations easier and faster. Each type of drone has its performance drawbacks, such as high operating and maintenance costs, limited flight range, time, and payload capacity, but with accelerating technology development and the systems integrated into drones, they offer a promising role in advancing precision agriculture.

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A estimativa da altura dominante média de árvores (Pinus pinaster) foi efectuada em 37 parcelas circulares de 500 m2 através de 3 métodos de medição:(1) medição directa no campo com um hipsómetro de Blume Leiss (hd);(2) medição com barra de paralaxe sobre ...

The paper presents an innovative approach that can assist survey methods by applying AI algorithms to improve the accuracy of point clouds generated from UAV images. Firstly, the work individually analyses several photogrammetric accuracy parameters, including reprojection error, angle of intersection between homologous points, number of cameras for single Tie Point calculation, verifying that a single parameter is not sufficient to filter noise from a photogrammetric point cloud. Therefore, some of the calculated parameters were analysed with the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) and a K-means, to check the impact of the precision parameters for reducing the noise associated with the definition of the 3D model. In the case study, in both machine learning clustering algorithms used, it was observed that the parameter that most influences noise in photogrammetric point clouds is the angle of intersection.

The present contribution falls within the framework of the actions envisaged by the "SMART Bethlehem -Sustainable Management And Renewal of Technology in the City of Bethlehem" (2022 -ongoing) research project, scientifically coordinated by the University of Pavia and co-founded by the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS). Among the main objectives of the cooperation project is the sustainable urban and territorial development of the Bethlehem area by means of multi-scalar activities, mainly focusing on refurbishment and energy optimisation of a few relevant municipality buildings. A test case implementation of the HBIM methodology was then carried out on the Peace Center, an iconic building facing the "Manger Square" in close proximity to the "Nativity Church", aiming to validate the proposed systematisation of a scan-to-BIM approach focused on the development of an optimised data repository for the planned operation and maintenance activities. An ECO-Systemic workflow is presented, organised in five recursive steps. Starting from a SLAM-TLS integrated digital survey (3DS), the federated sub-models that comprise the overall project are geo-referenced (GEO) within a shared coordinate system (FSC) environment, thereby providing the basis for the subsequent architectural modelling of the built asset (ARC) and the associated enhancement of the level of information (LOI).

Image segmentation, unlike most conventional approaches, assesses image pixel information in relation to image contextual information to extract congruent image objects. A comprehensive review of literature during the research conceptualization phase revealed that while a lot of work has been done into the optimization of the segmentation computational time, there was a conspicuous research gap in the area of computational time modelling and pre-analytical projections. The focus of this research was, therefore, to model the computational time requirements of segmentation as a function of variability in image spatial resolutions and pixel counts. The employed methodology integrated structure from motion (SFM), segmentation, and regression modelling into a multiphase workflow to process UAV-acquired imagery into an orthomosaic, which underwent segmentation at multiple resolutions. The segmentation computational time was regressed against the image pixel count and spatial resolution. The results showed that the image pixel count was the main determinant of the computational time, expressing a statistically strong linear relationship. However, when the regressors were tested individually, the spatial resolution showed an exponential relationship with computational time which, however, exhibited saturation. It can be inferred that image spatial resolution is not the key determinant of segmentation computational time but the pixel count of the image. This research recommends the adoption of statistically viable models to thoroughly assess computational time requirements for image segmentation and a pre-analytics estimation of the time requirements such that image qualityimage processing time adjustments can be made before rather than after analyses have commenced.

Spatial plans and strategies ensure that urbanization takes place according to predetermined scientific and
technical criteria. Urbanization that takes place without taking into account these legal and technical bases lead
to the emergence of informal, risky and dysfunctional settlements. Over time, these settlements become
increasingly vulnerable due to their failure to meet social and technical requirements, making their sustainability
increasingly challenging, and inevitably becoming subjects of urban renewal activities. Google Earth Engine
(GEE) platform’s archive of satellite images provides temporal monitoring of urbanization on Earth for about 50
years and analysis of changes in the cloud environment. This study investigates whether the GEE platform can
use to detect the impact of the areas where settlement activities are carried out without a development plan in
the current urban transformation projects in Istanbul. Land use/cover maps classified with the Random Forest
algorithm correlate urbanization activities in urban renewal areas with the entry into force date of the spatial
plans that guide the settlement. The classification results evaluated in conjunction with statistical tests and
spatial plan decisions demonstrate that unplanned urbanization is a serious obstacle to the sustainability of
settlements. Additionally, the study results show the performance of the GEE platform in detecting the effects of
factors in the urbanization period. The GEE platform can serve as a facilitative tool for deriving lessons from
urbanization experiences to inform policymaking.

Im Jahr 2017 hat sich am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie ein Forschungsprojekt mit der 3D-Digitalisierung von histo-rischen Anlagen der Technik beschäftigt. Dabei wurden bildgebende Verfahren hinsichtlich ihrer Anwendungsmöglichkeiten und ihres Aussagewerts erforscht. Auf der Grundlage dieses Projektes soll ein Digitalisierungsvorhaben zur &quot;3D-Digitalisierung von Kulturdenkmalen der Technik als Quellen der Technikgeschichte&quot; in der Förderlinie &quot;eHeritage&quot; des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) beantragt werden. Die aufbereiteten 3D-Modelle sollen der objekt- und technikgeschichtlichen Forschung sowie verwandten Fachgebieten als Quellen dienen. Der vorliegende Beitrag berichtet aus der Praxis und skizziert den Gegenstand des Pilotforschungsprojekts und dessen Ergebnisse. Eine Dissertation zum Thema &quot;Digitale 3D-Quellen in der Technikgeschichte&quot;, die auf den Projekterkenntnissen aufbaut, wird derzeit durch die Projektbearbeiterin und ...

UAV-based photogrammetry technologies allow the architectural and aesthetic details of monuments
to be captured with extreme precision, which helps to thoroughly document their current condition. These models can be used for further restoration, even if the monument would suffer degradation or destruction. The 3D models act as a digital archive of monuments, making it possible to preserve cultural elements in virtual format even if they physically disappear.

This paper presents the results of a study on the neolithic landscape of the Sopot culture in the area of Đakovština in Eastern Slavonija. A vast network of settlements was uncovered using aerial archaeology, which was further confirmed and chronologically determined by magnetometry, excavations, and field surveys. The study focuses on the site Tomašanci-Dubrava, where a drone was used to acquire vertical photographs to capture a detailed orthophoto of the feature in a maturing crop. The captured data revealed the subsurface archaeological features that affect the rate of plant growth, as observed on detailed digital surface models. The implications of this observation are discussed in the paper, including its potential use on a larger level with ALS data or aerial photographs taken by the state geodesic service to create DSM models of wider areas.

As caracteristicas anisotropicas de estruturas biologicas fornecem dados para caracterizacao desses materiais. Em estruturas vivas, a obtencao de parâmetros fisicos e geometricos pode ser realizada a partir de tecnicas baseadas em tomografia ou ressonância magnetica. Nesse sentido, a visualizacao de campos tensoriais vem a ser um recurso que fornece meios de obter informacoes qualitativas sobre o comportamento global dos dados em estudo. Alem da visualizacao, uma interacao eficiente entre o usuario e os dados e desejavel, uma vez que, oferece meios para exploracao desses campos no espaco tridimensional. Apesar dos potenciais e beneficios das ferramentas de visualizacao, seu desenvolvimento nao e uma tarefa facil, pois, um tensor, por exemplo, codifica uma grande quantidade de informacao e os meios de interagir com tais informacoes nao sao simples ou diretos. Neste trabalho e apresentado o desenvolvimento e uso de uma ferramenta para exploracao visual de campos de direcoes anisotropi...

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which are also known as Drones are aircrafts without a human pilot on board, usually controlled by a ground-based controller and a communication system or by the ability of being programmed with various degrees of autonomy. The reason of the rapid advancement on drone technology is the need for more precision, accessibility, safety and costeffectivity in many fields. In other words, the drones help us to minimize the risk of aerial operations and reduce the cost of manufacturing and maintenance, in comparison with manned aerial vehicles. Despite of all the technological advancements, drones still have some weaknesses. They currently lack the flexibility and adaptability of manned aircrafts. Drones are a technology that has extended its use in recent years to many applications such as the audiovisual sector, surveying, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, forestry management and logistics, among others. By some measures, 80% of the global drone industry revenues are related to agriculture, in some way. (R1) Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are one of the most promising innovative technologies invented in recent years to promote precision agriculture and smart farming. UAVs can not only reduce labor requirements but also increase production output, reduce the use of pesticides, and protect the environment. [61] The ultimate objective of this internship is to design a drone prototype of a multifunctional agricultural drone which meets the customers' requirements, and to formulate the mechanical design in a way that can satisfy the quality standards and verify tests' results, in addition to writing the documentations which will assist us for the further projects and other personnel. In this report, the mechanisms of different types of drones, applications, components selection and calculations will be discussed particularly for agricultural purposes.

In the recent years, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become increasing interests for different civilian applications. The high-resolution video image, on one hand, brings us clarity and details of the behavior and characteristics of the earth surface features, on the other hand, presents new challenges in data processing. For example, how do we generate ortho-image from high-resolution UAV video images because the video data contain large redundant information due to a high sampling rate and the UAV has inherent characteristics of inconsistent and unstable flight parameters such as flying velocity, attitudes and altitude. This paper presents our theoretical analysis and experimental results for optimizing the re-sampling rate in order to speed up the generation of the video ortho-image. This algorithm is based on analysis of UAV exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) in each imaging epoch and video lens distortion characteristics as well as mapping accuracy of different scale. The model has been established for these relationships based on a test field located in Picayune, Mississippi. Our experimental results indicate that the resample rate is directly correlated with EOPs including three position elements and rotation elements of exterior orientation parameters, flying velocity and requirement of accuracy for different mapping scale.