Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have potential for environmental mapping applications. This study tested a hexacopter UAV equipped with a calibrated digital camera to acquire aerial images of simulation models, including a coastal area and archaeological site. Digital photos were processed to generate orthophotos and digital elevation models. The hexacopter was able to autonomously capture images with sufficient accuracy. The results demonstrate that UAVs are a low-cost alternative to manned aircraft for small-area environmental mapping projects with limited budgets and timeframes. Future work involves using UAVs to map real coastal and archaeological sites.

1. UAV Mapping

2. • Introduction
• Trends UAV in Surveying
• Mapping of Environmental Area – Test Field
• Methodology
• Results and Discussion
• Conclusion

3. • The small format aerial photography became popular in
1980’s. However, the cost of map updating remained
expansive all the time.
• At the same time, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system was
introduced due to its low cost and rapid data captured.
• UAV system has been reported used for many
photogrammetry and non-photogrammetry applications.
• Most countries in the world have produced their topographic
map using aerial photogrammetry.
• Recently, digital photogrammetry has embraced UAV
technology known as UAV photogrammetry.

4. • UAV system has been used to produce digital map and
orthophoto of UTM Johor Bahru (Anuar Ahmad, 2011; Anuar
Ahmad & Wan Aziz Wan Mohd Akib, 2010; Anuar Ahmad,
2009a, 2009b).
• In the study carried out, fixed wing UAV was used to acquire
digital aerial photograph at low altitude of approximately
300m. The output of the study show that the digital map was
produced at large scale and accurate.

5. • Therefore, UAV system has expanded data capture
opportunities for photogrammetry techniques. Usually, the UAV
system uses the concepts of close range photogrammetry
(CRP).
• In CRP, the photography is acquired where the object-to-camera
distance is less than 300m (Cooper and Robson, 1996; Wolf and
Dewitt, 2000).
• Baoping et al., (2008) stated that numerous UAV have been
developed by organization or individual worldwide including a
complete set of UAV which uses high quality fibers as material
for plane model. The development of this technology is very
beneficial for monitoring purpose for limited time and budget.

6. Demand of
mapping Need for updated
map with simpler,
faster, less
manpower and
budget
GPS
What are the potential use of UAV for environmental area?
Suitable or not for mapping purpose using high resolution camera?
Manned Aircraft
Total Station
UAV
Remote Sensing & Lidar

7. • This paper aims to demonstrate the potential use of
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system attached with
calibrated high resolution digital camera for environmental
survey based on a test field.

8. • Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system has many advantages in
various mapping applications in recent years especially in
surveying.
• This is apparent in comparison to conventional aerial surveying
which offer accurate maps, but very expensive and have limited
endurance for only a few hours. The UAV systems could be
mounted on either high or low altitude platform (Lin, 2008).
8

9. • Low-altitude systems have advantages in conducting
photogrammetric surveys under the cloud, providing different
views and tilted images of the surveyed objects, low-cost and
easy-to-maintain for engineering applications systems such as
topographic either large or small scale mapping.
• The development of this technology is very beneficial for
monitoring purpose of limited time and budget. It has been
reported that UAV has been practiced in many applications
such as farming, surveillance, road maintenance, recording
and documentation of cultural heritage (Bryson and
Sukkarieh, 2009).

10. • UAV technology can be utilized in several applications such as
modelling of cultural heritage (Pueschel et. al, 2008; Eisenbeiss, 2004;
and Eisenbeiss and Zhang, 2006), documentation of archaeological
sites (Bendea, 2005), forest-fire monitoring (Zhou, 2005), road
navigation (Egbert, 2007), vehicle detection (Kaaniche et. al, 2005),
disaster management (Ambrosia, 2003), and mapping urban and
suburban areas (Spatalas et. al, 2006).
• The UAV systems are also employed in environmental, agricultural, and
natural resources monitoring (Zongjian, 2008).
• Rango et. al (2006) recommended on using lightweight UAV systems in
acquiring high quality geospatial information for resource management
agencies, rangeland consultants and private land managers.

11. Category
name
Mass
[kg]
Range
[km]
Flight attitude
[m]
Endurance
[hours]
Micro <5 <10 <250 1
Mini <25/30/150 <10 150/250/300 <2
Close Range 25 - 150 10 - 30 3000 2 – 4
Medium Range 50 - 250 30 - 70 3000 3 – 6
High Alt. Long
Endurance
>250 >70 >3000 >6
Source: UVS International

12. Profile Coastal Zone
Simulation Model (2.4m x 7.2m)

14. Weight 1.2kg
Rotor 6 blades
Endurance Up to 36 minutes
Payload 1kg
GPS on board Yes
Special function Automatically return to home
location (1st point)
Stabilizer Inbuilt stabilizer to deal with wind
correction
Capture data Using software to reached
waypoints
Flight control Manual and autonomous
Camera stand Flexible camera holder

15. PHASE 3
Data Processing
Literature Review for preliminary study,
Determine Scope, Problem Statement and
Objectives
Flight Planning
Acquire Digital Images from Hexacopter UAV
Uncontrolled mosaic using PTGui software
Equipment, Facilities & Simulation Model
Calibration of compact digital camera
Establish of GCPs and CPs using Total Station
PHASE 1
Preliminary Study
PHASE 2
Data Acquisition
Interior orientation Exterior orientation
Perform Aerial Triangulation

16. PHASE 5
Conclusion
Digital Elevation Model Contour Line
Point Analysis
Future Work
Orthophoto
Visual Analysis
PHASE 4
Data Analysis
Perform Aerial Triangulation
Accuracy Assessment

19. • Digital camera calibration is essential to achieve accurate
measurement task.
• For non-metric digital camera, the internal geometry
camera is not stable, hence, need calibration for the
recovery of the parameters of the digital camera.
• Camera parameters usually comprised of :
– focal length (c),
– principal point offset (xp, yp)
– radial lens distortion (k1, k2, k3)
– tangential lens distortion (p1, p2).

20. Laboratory Camera Calibration
Continued…
Eight camera stations
Digital images of 3D test plate

21. Field Camera Calibration
Continued…

22. Results & Discussion

23. • This study has been carried out to prove that UAV have the
potential for mapping the environmental.
• With this technology, many problems could be solved for
various applications especially project with limited budget
and small area coverage.

24. One strips of aerial photograph for simulation of coastal area
Direction of flight mission using Hexacopter UAV

25. Uncontrolled Mosaic

27. 27
Footprint of Study Area (Simulation Model of Coastal Area)

28. Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

29. Contour Line

30. Orthophoto of Coastal Model

32. Footprint of Study Area (Model of Archeological Area)

33. The RMSE of aerial triangulation results is 0.0337m
Achievable accuracy is ±0.183m

34. Orthophoto of
archeological
test area

35. Orthophoto for Simulation of Riverbed
topography

36. • Previously, aerial photogrammetry using manned aircraft
has some limitation such as need professional pilot
onboard, cannot fly at cloudy day, high cost and large film
need to be scanned before it can be processed using
photogrammetric software.
• This study proves that the light weight rotary-wing UAV
was successfully used for capturing the digital aerial
images of simulated coastal and archeological models for
large scale mapping.
• UAV is an autonomous flight without pilot onboard,
suitable for cover small area, limited time and budget.

37. • Fixed wing UAV will be used to acquire digital aerial image
of real site for coastal area that suffers erosion. It will also
be used for real archeological site such as in Lembah
Bujang, Kedah or some other archeological sites.
• The rotary wing UAV will also be used for the real site
wherever possible for acquisition of digital aerial images.
HELANG UAV HEXACOPTER UAV

38. http://www.jmm.gov.my/ms/muzium-
arkeologi-lembah-bujang#
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/Hakis_
kikis_lenyap/Article/
Coastal Area Archaeological Site

39. THANK YOU