Principles of Photogrammetry: Stereoscopic Parallax

Stereophotography
Adjacent but overlapping aerial photos are called stereo-pairs and are needed to determine parallax and stereo/3D viewing

Overlapping Stereophotography
Overlapping photography Endlap - ~60%

Sidelap - ~20-30%

Relief Displacement
Even from great flying heights, tall objects can exhibit image displacement. In this example from a Quickbird satellite image, the Washington Monument appears to lean outwards

Radial Displacement
Objects will tend to lean outward, i.e. be radially displaced. The greater the object is from the principal point, the greater the radial displacement. Example: storage tanks towards the edge of photo show greater radial displacement.

Center of photo

Edge of photo

Maps vs. Aerial Photos

Maps: Scale is constant No relief displacement
Photos: Scale varies with elevation Relief displacement

Stereoscopic Parallax
The displacement of an object caused by a change in the point of observation is called parallax. Stereoscopic parallax is caused by taking photographs of the same object but from different points of observation.

Stereoscopic parallax
Note the displacement between the top and base of the storage towers in this photo stereo-pair

Line of Flight

top

bottom

Stereoscopic Plotting Instruments

Stereoplotters - precision instruments designed to duplicate the exact relative position and orientation of the aerial camera at the time of photo acquisition to recreate the stereomodel. A floating mark can be used trace specific elevations. Relief displacement is removed creating a planimetric map.

Stereoscopic Plotting Instruments

Soft-copy photogrammetry Digital workstations - computer scanner software recreates the stereomodel and allows for digital mapping Soft-copy photogrammtery has largely replaced opticalSoft copy mechanical systems

workstation

Simulated 3-D Stereo viewing

One view displayed in red; the other perspective view in blue spatially shifted The spatial shift is a function of the differential parallax To visualize, use red-blue glasses

NASA Mars Lander

Electronic Distance Measurement

 Got its start in 1948 with Swiss device using visible light (range=40km only at night)
http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au

Microwaves used in 1957 (range=80km)

http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au

Infra-red, IR, devices are common today

http://www.pentaxcanada.ca

 Electro-magnetic energy travels through the atmosphere according to the following:

c/n=f l
Where:

c = speed of light in vacuum n = atmospheric index of refraction, 1.003 for STP f = frequency of the electro-magnetic energy l = wavelength of the energy

 So called total-station instruments package a digital theodolite (for measuring azimuth and altitude) with an EDM, data storage device, and often a modem for transmitting data from the field. The most common instruments use a pulse of 2 to 4 AM frequencies ranging from 150kHz to 15MHz. This range of frequencies have corresponding half-wavelengths of 1.0km to 10m, respectively.
http://www.nikon.co.jp/survey-e

It is a combination of an electronic theodolite (transit), an electronic distance meter (EDM) and software running on an external computer known as a data collector. A total station is an optical instrument used in modern surveying and archaeology as well as by police, crime scene investigators, private accident reconstructionists and insurance companies to take measurements of scenes.

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Salient features of modern TS

TS is a fully integrated equipment that captures all the spatial data necessary for a three-dimensional position fix. The angles and distances are displayed on a digital readout and can be recorded at the press of a button. Total station is usually operated by a surveyor assisted by a labourer or geodesist who carries the target pole to the points of detail to be surveyed. Various components of a typical TS are shown in Fig.6.

Fig. 6 Parts of Total Station 12/19/2013

Electronic transit Reads and stores horizontal and vertical angles Uses EDM to measure and store the distance of points Points can be stored in the instrument using computer

fig.7Total station
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 EDM
Electronic theodolite On-Board Micro-processor Data Collector Data Storage Prisms

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Distance units are in metres.

IR mode has high accuracy, long range, and measures to a specific point. Personal access is required to the target point.

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Reflector less mode requires no prism. Range up to 160m. Distance units are in metres

Reflector less mode can measure to inaccessible points, but be careful about pointing and beam interruptions!

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The inbuilt software computes the HD and VD from the SD and the VA SD VA

VD = SD * Cos(VA)

HD = SD * Sin(VA)
TH

IH

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Application pre-settings

F1 = Name of job
F2 = Name of setup station F3 = Orientation F4 = Begin

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Advantages of Total Station Conventional instruments:

over

Traditional survey methods are laborious and time consuming Fully automatic electronic measurement Digital display of staff reading and distance Data storage in instrument possible Direct transfer to personal computer of data stored in instruments Online operation through integrated interface to computer

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Disadvantages
Total stations are dependent on batteries and electronics. The LCD screen does not work well when it is cold. Battery life is also short, batteries and electronics both do not work well when wet. Loss of data is an important consideration.

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