Chandler, Jim
time required to aaquire imagery was just 13 hours, mostly taken by the time required to climb up to the camera
stations.
Photogrammetric data processing was caried out back in the UK, using OrthoMAX to produce DEMs and OrthoBASE
for orthophoto production. It is not possble for OrthoMAX to generate DEMs automatically from oblique imagery and
using standard, documented procedures. However, previous reseach work (Pyle et al., 199% Chandler, 1999 has
shown that if the control is rotated so that the average vedor between the two camera axes is nea verticd, then it is
possble to use the automated DEM extradion tools successfully. This $rategy was adopted, and a reverse rotation
applied to transform the automaticaly derived data bac into the original coordinate system. DEMs were aeded at a
resolution of 0.20m, for those days where change was experienced (Figure 3). Examination of the DEM, which consists
of 250000 points, reveds that the distinctive acuate patterns within the bedforms are represented. These are consistent
with the sequence of erosion and sedi ment deposition seen in flume experiments. It is also clea that small topagraphicd
feaures are represented, including minor bar-tops and channels. There ae aeæ where inacarate data has been
generated, but these «incide with those regions inundated by flowing water at the time of photo-aœquisition.
Comparison of DEM elevations with heights extraded from the profiles measured by field survey reved that the DEM
acauracy is -0.044m, a satisfadory result considering that median gai nsize was 0.04m and that ground coverage of
ead pixel was 0.025m or greder. Orthophotos (Figure 4) could be produced using the OrthoBASE product without
recourse to rotating the control coordinates.
4 DISCUSSON
The pradicd work cited in sedion 3.0
demonstrates that digital photogrammetry
can usefully be used to derive
morphologicd data necessary to describe
water worked surfaces. There ae various xn
controls upon the quality of such data.
The scde ad configuration of the
photographs aaquired has a dired and highly
predictable impad upon the predsion of
DEMs generated. One of the unique and
well-known advantages of photogrammetry 1600
is the positive relationship between
predsion and photo-scde and this has again
been illustrated during this Study.
Applicaion of the methods for the Flood
Channel Fadlity utilized a camera
configuration that can be more dficient than
the conventional 60% overlap and vertica 950 ue
imagery. The difficult sinusoidal wave “|
shape of the FCF demanded a radicd |
approach, with the most effedive means of Figure 4, Orthophoto df braided system, Sunwapta- 30-07-99
obtaining stereo-coverage being to oktain
discrete overlapping stereo-pairs. Moreover,
by orientating the aes of each camera slightly inwards, a 90-9596 overlap can be achieved, again improving efficiency
and ease of obtaining appropriate stereo coverage of complex objeds.
Accurate camera cdibration is clealy critica for deriving acarate DEMs, although the aiticdity of parameter groups
used to model the inner geometry of the camera varies (Chandler e al., in pres3. It has been found that it is particularly
important to acarately model lens distortion, which arises from using the cheaper classof digital cameras designed for
professonal photography, rather than photogrammetry. Other parameters are less $gnificant. Focd length and principal
paint offset, which can be important for convergent high predsion networks used for deformation monitoring, were
found to be insensitive to acaracy tests. It is suggested that for verticd imagery used to extrad DEMs of surfaoes
which display minimal relief variation in relation to camera/objed distance that these two sets of parameters need to be
estimated approximately only, (Chandler et al., in press.
It is pertinent to compare the acurades achieved in the three caes, but particularly between the FCF and the Tilting
flume, where acarades are similar but the camera devation was over twice & low. This paradox can be explained by
considering the extent and likelihood d poar matching due to dead ground in regions between particles. The li kelihood
of dead ground is dependent upon the aomparative size of the particles (median grain size) with the ground coverage of
pixels comprising the images. In the FCF the median grains ze was 0.9mm and ead pixel covered an areaof 1.4mm,
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part B7. Amsterdam 2000. 255