Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology was used to determine tidal extent in Kimages Creek, a restored tidal wetland located in Charles City County, Virginia. A Sensefly eBee Real-Time Kinematic UAV equipped with the Sensor Optimized for Drone Applications (SODA) camera (20-megapixel RGB sensor) was flown during a single high and low tide event in Summer 2017. Collectively, over 1,300 images were captured and processed using Pix4D. Horizontal and vertical accuracy of models created using ground control points (GCP) ranged from 0.176 m to 0.363 m. The high tide elevation model was subtracted from the low tide using the ArcMap 10.5.1 raster calculator. The positive difference was displayed to show the portion of high tide that was above the low tide. These results show that UAVs offer numerous spatial and temporal advantages, but further research is needed to determine the best method of GCP placement in areas of similar forest structure.

This work presents the application of a cognitive engineering design method to the design of operational procedures and ground control station interfaces for uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs). Designing for UAV systems presents novel challenges, both in terms of selecting and presenting adequate information for effective teleoperation, and in creating operational procedures and ground control station interfaces that are robust to a range of UAV platforms and missions. Creating a coherent set of operating procedures, automatic functions and operator interfaces requires a systematic design approach that considers the system and the mission at different levels of abstraction and integrates the different element of the system. Several models are developed through the application of this cognitive engineering method. An analysis of the work of operating a UAV creates an abstraction decomposition space (ADS) model. The ADS helps identify the control tasks needed to operate the system. A strategies analysis then identifies methods for implementing these control tasks. The distribution of activities and roles between the human and automated components in the system is then considered in a social organization and cooperation analysis. These insights are applied to the design of coherent sets of operational procedures, ground control station interfaces and automatic functions for a specific UAV in support of a continuous target surveillance (CTS) mission. The importance of the coherence provided by the selected design method in the design of UAV operational procedures and ground control station interfaces is analyzed through a human in the loop simulation experiment for this mission. The results of the simulation experiment indicate that UAV controllers using coherently designed elements achieve significantly higher mission performance and experience lower workloads than those that when using incoherently matched elements.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2009. / Typescript. Includes disc in back pocket. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 264-272.

Recentemente, o uso dos Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTs) surgiu como uma ferramenta para a aquisição de dados geoespaciais. Os Modelos Digitais de Elevação (MDEs), as ortoimagens e os modelos tridimensionais gerados a partir de imagens de VANT são produtos cartográficos de grande utilidade para as mais diversas aplicações. Em vista das limitações dos VANTs e da recentidade desta ferramenta, este estudo visa determinar a correlação da configuração dos pontos de apoio e dos parâmetros do voo com a acurácia de ortofotomosaicos elaborados a partir de dados de VANT. Esta pesquisa utilizou dados de três levantamentos aerofotogramétricos distintos realizados com três aeronaves diferentes e considerou parâmetros relacionados à configuração dos pontos de apoio e à execução do voo. Foram gerados 200 ortofotomosaicos e 200 MDEs. Ao todo foram feitas 4616 observações de pontos de controle. Os resultados mostraram baixa correlação linear entre acurácia planimétrica e altimétrica. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos de forma inversa às alturas de voo. No geral, sob as condições de processamento utilizadas neste trabalho, recomenda-se o uso de 4 a 5 pontos de apoio por km², além do uso de voo cruzado. / Recently, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) emerged as a tool for geospatial data acquisition. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), orthoimages and three- dimensional models generated from UAV images are cartographic products of great utility for many different applications. Considering the recency and limitations of UAV, this study aims at determining the correlation of ground control points and flight configuration with the accuracy of orthophotomosaics based on UAV data. This research used data from three different aerial surveys, performed with three different aircrafts, and considered parameters related to ground-control points distribution and to flight missions. 200 orthophotomosaics and 200 DEMs were generated and a total of 4616 ground-control points measurements were performed. Results did not show a linear correlation between planimetric and altimetric accuracy. The best correlation results were obtained inversely related to flight height. In general, under the processing conditions used in this work, we recommend the use of 4 control points per km² and a cross flight pattern.

Orientador: Aluir Porfírio Dal Poz / Banca: João Fernando Custódio da Silva / Banca: Daniel Rodrigues dos Santos. / Resumo: Nesta pesquisa é proposta uma metodologia para a orientação semi-automática de imagens CBERS usando rodovias como controle de campo. Baseia-se numa estratégia iterativa envolvendo três etapas. Na primeira etapa um operador identifica na imagem as rodovias de controle de campo e fornece alguns pontos sementes, distribuídos grosseira e esparsamente ao longo ou nas imediações das rodovias. Estes pontos sementes são utilizados pelo algoritmo de otimização de programação dinâmica para extrair as rodovias na imagem. Na segunda etapa são estabelecidas correspondências pontuais entre as rodovias de controle e as correspondentes rodovias extraídas na imagem. Na terceira etapa as correspondências pontuais são utilizadas para orientar a imagem usando a DLT (Direct Linear Transformation). As duas últimas etapas do processo são iteradas até que se verifique a estabilização do processo de orientação. Os resultados experimentais possibilitaram verificar que a metodologia proposta foi eficiente com várias imagens teste. Em todos os casos se verificou a convergência do processo de orientação. Além disso, os parâmetros estimados de orientação possibilitaram o registro de rodovias de verificação com acurácia no nível do pixel ou melhor. / Abstract: In this research is proposed a methodology for semiautomatic CBERS image orientation using roads as ground control. It is based on an iterative strategy involving three steps. In the first step, an operator identifies on the image the ground control roads and supplies along them a few distributed seed points, which could be sparsely and coarsely distributed. These seed points are used by the dynamic programming algorithm for extracting the ground control roads from the image. In the second step, it is established the correspondences between points describing the ground control roads and the corresponding ones extracted from the image. In the last step, the corresponding points are used to orient the CBERS image by using the DLT (Direct Linear Transformation). The two last steps are iterated until the convergence of the orientation process is verified. Experimental results showed that the proposed methodology was efficient with several test images. In all cases the orientation process converged. Moreover, the estimated orientation parameters allowed the registration of check roads with pixel accuracy or better. / Mestre

Recentemente, o uso dos Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANTs) surgiu como uma ferramenta para a aquisição de dados geoespaciais. Os Modelos Digitais de Elevação (MDEs), as ortoimagens e os modelos tridimensionais gerados a partir de imagens de VANT são produtos cartográficos de grande utilidade para as mais diversas aplicações. Em vista das limitações dos VANTs e da recentidade desta ferramenta, este estudo visa determinar a correlação da configuração dos pontos de apoio e dos parâmetros do voo com a acurácia de ortofotomosaicos elaborados a partir de dados de VANT. Esta pesquisa utilizou dados de três levantamentos aerofotogramétricos distintos realizados com três aeronaves diferentes e considerou parâmetros relacionados à configuração dos pontos de apoio e à execução do voo. Foram gerados 200 ortofotomosaicos e 200 MDEs. Ao todo foram feitas 4616 observações de pontos de controle. Os resultados mostraram baixa correlação linear entre acurácia planimétrica e altimétrica. Os melhores resultados foram obtidos de forma inversa às alturas de voo. No geral, sob as condições de processamento utilizadas neste trabalho, recomenda-se o uso de 4 a 5 pontos de apoio por km², além do uso de voo cruzado. / Recently, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) emerged as a tool for geospatial data acquisition. Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), orthoimages and three- dimensional models generated from UAV images are cartographic products of great utility for many different applications. Considering the recency and limitations of UAV, this study aims at determining the correlation of ground control points and flight configuration with the accuracy of orthophotomosaics based on UAV data. This research used data from three different aerial surveys, performed with three different aircrafts, and considered parameters related to ground-control points distribution and to flight missions. 200 orthophotomosaics and 200 DEMs were generated and a total of 4616 ground-control points measurements were performed. Results did not show a linear correlation between planimetric and altimetric accuracy. The best correlation results were obtained inversely related to flight height. In general, under the processing conditions used in this work, we recommend the use of 4 control points per km² and a cross flight pattern.

This thesis was elaborated on the topic: The delineation of boundaries of wood lands in cadastral area Vrcov in the region of České Budějovice as a part of complex land adaptation. The aim was to delineate and to measure the ground control and consequently set out the boundaries of the lots. Fallowing the technical and map bases the reconnaissance of the terrain and the ground control was done. The ground control was completed by 127 secondary measuring points using the GPS method and the method of area survey net. The main part of the thesis describes the process of the delineation. For the measuring in terrain there was used the electronic total station Leica TC 1103 and the polar method. The last part is about checking of the precision of measurement, elaboration of the setting out sketch and the process of the transfer to the owners of lots.

Unmanned aerial vehicles can be used in many different situations such as, for example, monitoring the growth of crops or for surveillance of a private property. Operating the unmanned aerial vehicle is usually done using some kind of ground control station. This thesis examines the possibilities of creating ground control stations working on several different platforms using the cross platform development frameworks Xamarin, Universal Windows Platform and Mono. This is done by creating and comparing three prototype applications regarding functional requirements, code reuse and resource usage. It is shown that none of the cross platform frameworks can fulfill all of the initial requirements on a ground control station. However, for the case studied in this thesis, Xamarin is demonstrated to be the most suitable cross platform framework of the three since it provides the same functionality as UWP for Windows devices while also enabling development for both Android and iOS devices.

The overall objective of any geotechnical mine design procedure must be to maximize the extraction of the ore reserves while maintaining the integrity of the working areas. At the McLellan Mine the cut-and-fill mining method was first adopted. This decision was made for flexibility in the size and shape of the mine openings to allow for the variability in width and grade of the ore zone. As a result the geotechnical design of the cut-and-fill stopes necessitated investigations to evaluate the character of the rock mass with regard to the hydrogeology, lithology, structural geology, rock strength and rock mass ratings at the site and to assess the in-situ stress conditions. In addition, the character of the backfill material had to be estimated prior to detailed testing. Based upon these parameters two dimensional finite element analyses were completed, the sill pillar and the two stopes were designed. Finally, remedial rock reinforcement was recommended for suspected unstable spans. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mining Engineering, Keevil Institute of / Graduate

The aim of the thesis was to process the images taken by UAS technology and especially to test the accuracy of this method on the checkpoints of various types. For this testing were used checkpoints that were measured by geodetic method. Subsequently these points were compared with points measured photogrammetrically.