Use of UAV Technology to Update Geological Cartographic Databases – Case Study Karst System João Rodrigues River
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Abstract
The development of platforms and sensors for the gathering of spatial information, intended for the development of
cartographical products, photo interpretation and cadastral database updating, has experienced a rapid growth in the 21st
century by means of the latest techniques of digital treatment for aerial images from digital cameras. The objective of
this study was to generate orthophotos from the raw data obtained by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), in order to
assess the applicability of this technology to update geological cartographic data. The methodology was based on the
creation of the fl ight plan to be followed by the UAV; data and aerial photography acquisition; the processing of the
imagery, using PhotoScan, consisting of four steps: photo alignment, point cloud building, polygonal 3D mesh building
and geometry reconstruction/result exporting of the orthophoto. The aerophotogrammetric fl ight was performed at an average altitude of 300 meters. The aerial photos were captured automatically by a Sony NEX-3 16MP camera, with a
9cm spatial resolution of the ground. It generated an orthophoto that allowed the photointerpretation of the local drainage
system as well as its geomorphological and geological characterization. The results are promising and demonstrate that
low-cost UAV’s can be used in acquisition of spatial data and bringing geological cartographic databases up to date.
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