Photogrammetry
The field of Remote Sensing is not necessarily new. In fact one of the first instances of remote sensing that we could find in our research was back in the mid-19th century when photography was used from balloons for military and geographic purposes. Over time, remote sensing has evolved from balloons to aircraft to satellites, and now drones, becoming a key tool in fields such as cartography, environmental monitoring, architecture/engineering/construction (A/E/C). But remote sensing is the collection of data, and as we will often remind folks: data ≠ information. So how can one convert the data into useful information? Well, if the dataset is imagery captured following specific workflows the first step is often Photogrammetry.
Building Rehab
Creating a 3D mesh model of a building inspection allows for more efficient and effective collaboration between stakeholders.
Photogrammetry is a specific technique within remote sensing, particularly for applications requiring precise 3D models or geometric data. Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining precise measurements and creating 3D models from photograph that can provide information (such as size, shape, and position) from 2D images to reconstruct 3D models or maps.
By analyzing the overlap between multiple images taken from different angles, photogrammetry software can calculate the depth and create accurate models of site features and structures. Often, it is limited to relatively smaller scales such as building-scale or landscape-scale projects, because it relies on detailed images with overlapping coverage and therefore can require a good amount of computing power.
Industry standards are crucial in scientific fields, as they promote consistency, accuracy, and reliability by acting as established norms or benchmarks for procedures, measurements, and methodologies. Standards ensure that work can be trusted, reproduced, and built upon, and that is why it is important to utilize them when others are depending on the deliverables that will influence decisions.
The American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) standards play a crucial role in improving the accuracy of 3D models. The standards provide guidelines and best practices for capturing, processing, and validating geospatial data to ensure that it meets specific accuracy requirements. By adhering to these standards, we can produce consistent, high-quality 3D models for a wide range of applications, including, mapping, construction, and environmental monitoring.
ASPRS provides methods for accuracy assessment, including error metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) while defining acceptable error thresholds ensuring that models meet the accuracy requirements for the intended application. These metrics quantify the deviations between the model and known reference points, helping users understand the precision of their 3D models.
