Development and Testing of a UAV Laser Scanner and Multispectral Camera System for Eco-Geomorphic Applications

Area of Science:

• Geospatial Science
• Environmental Monitoring
• River Science

Background:

• Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems struggle with vegetation in fluvial 3D modeling.
• Accurate characterization of both bare earth and vegetation is crucial for eco-geomorphic and eco-hydraulic research.
• Existing methods face limitations in complex vegetated riverine environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a UAV-mounted LiDAR and multispectral camera system for improved fluvial 3D modeling.
• To create a processing workflow for accurate bare earth and vegetation structure detection.
• To enhance eco-geomorphic research capabilities in river systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a integrated UAV system combining LiDAR and multispectral sensors.
• Implementation of a specialized data processing workflow.
• Field testing at a river location for validation against Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques.

Main Results:

• The developed system accurately detects bare earth and vegetation structure, surpassing SfM outputs.
• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) outputs are superior to SfM alone.
• High accuracy (detection level < 0.1 m) and repeatability were achieved.

Conclusions:

• The UAV-mounted LiDAR and multispectral system offers a significant advancement for fluvial surveying.
• The system provides superior data for eco-hydraulic and eco-geomorphic applications.
• This technology holds great potential for future riverine environment research.