Importance of Aerial Photographs -

PHOTOGRAMMETRY

Dr. L. N. Sharma,
Professor
lnsharma.pec@gmail.com
 Photogrammetry
►photo = "picture“, grammetry = "measurement“,
therefore photogrammetry = “photo-measurement”
►Photogrammetry is the science or art of
obtaining reliable measurements by means of
photographs.
►Formal Definition:
►Photogrammetry is the art, science and technology of obtaining
reliable information about physical objects and the environment,
through processes of recording, measuring, and interpreting
photographic images and patterns of recorded radiant
electromagnetic energy and other phenomena.
►- As given by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
(ASPRS) ►Chapter 1
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 Distinct Areas
►Interpretative Photogrammetry
►Metric Photogrammetry
• making precise measurements from ►Deals in recognizing and identifying
photos determine the relative locations objects and judging their significance
of points. through careful and systematic analysis.

• finding distances, angles, areas,

volumes, elevations, and sizes and
shapes of objects.
• Most common applications: ►Photographic ►Remote
Interpretation Sensing
1. preparation of planimetric and
topographic maps ►(Includes use of
2. production of digital orthophotos multispectral cameras,
infrared cameras, thermal
3. Military intelligence such as scanners, etc.)
targeting

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Early aerial photography
(before planes):
balloons, pigeons and
mountain tops
 History

 The first use of photogrammetry was by Arago, a French

geodesist, in 1840. This included topographic and
terrestrial.
 The first aerial photogrammetry was by the French in 1849
using kites and balloons.
 Laussedat (French) – father of photogrammetry.
 1st in N. America – Deville, Surveyor General of Canada.
 U.S.G.S. adopted photogrammetry as mapping process in
1894 – mapping border between Canada and Alaska.
 History

 Airplanes brought great change to photogrammetry.

st
 1 used in 1913.

 Used extensively in WWI – photo interpretation.

 Used in WWII – mapping for recon and intelligence.

 WWII – 1960 – used often, expensive and accuracy

problems for engineering design.
 After mid 60’s – advent of computer and plotting has made
photogrammetric mapping accurate and affordable.
Aerial Photography
 Aerial photography = two sciences:
 Photogrammetry (=precise locations and heights)

 Air photo interpretation (=feature identification)

 Advantages over ground surveying

 Cost and time-convenience

 Historical record
 Uses of Photogrammetry
► Products of photogrammetry:
1. Topographic maps: detailed and accurate graphic representation of cultural and
natural features on the ground.
2. Orthophotos: Aerial photograph modified so that its scale is uniform throughout.
3. Digital Elevation Maps (DEMs): an array of points in an area that have X, Y and Z
coordinates determined.

► Current Applications:
1. Land surveying
2. Highway engineering
3. Preparation of tax maps, soil maps, forest maps, geologic maps, maps for city
and regional planning and zoning
4. Traffic management and traffic accident investigations
5. Military – digital mosaic, mission planning, rehearsal, targeting etc.

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Photogrammetry for Engineering

 Defined: Photogrammetry is the process of

measuring images on a photograph.
 Modern photogrammetry also uses radar
imaging, radiant electromagnetic energy
detection and x-ray imaging – called remote
sensing.
 2 Basic Categories
 Metrical photogrammetry – obtaining
measurements from photos from which ground
positions, elevations, distances, areas, and
volumes can be computed and topographic or
planimetric maps can be made.
 Photo interpretation – evaluation of existing
features in a qualitative manner- timber stands,
water pollution, soils, geological formations, crops,
and military interpretation.
Types of Photogrammetry

 Aerial – series of photographs of an area of

terrain in sequence using a precision camera.
 Terrestrial – photos taken from a fixed and
usually known position on or near the ground
with the camera axis horizontal or nearly so.
 Close range – camera close to object being
observed. Most often used when direct
measurement is impractical.
Basic Information

 Uses: Aerial photos

 Aid: geological investigations, soil surveys, land
surveys, tax mapping, reconnaissance and military
intelligence, urban and regional development,
transportation system investigations, quantity
estimates, shore erosion, etc.
 Mathematical methods have been developed to
make precise 3-dimensional measurements from
photos.
 Phototriangulation: 3-dimensional positioning of survey
stations.
Basic Information

 Mapping from aerial photos is the best mapping

procedure yet developed for most large
projects.
 Used successfully for maps varying in scale from
1:1,000,000 1:120 with contour intervals as small
as 1 foot.
 Topographic mapping is the most common form. –
U.S.G.S updated and done this way.
 Used to reconstruct a scaled 3-dimensional optical
model of the lands surface using a stereoplotter.
 Basic Information Continued

 Photo has been used to take geometric

measurements of human bodies, artificial
human hearts, large radio telescopes, ships,
dams, buildings and very accurate
reproductions.
 In general it is not economical for small projects –
the cost break even point is somewhere between
30 – 100 acres depending on the situation.
 Basic Information

 Photogrammetry can not be used successfully

over the following types of terrain.
 Desert or plains areas, sandy beaches, and snow – the
photograph as uniform shades with little texture.
 Deep canyons or high buildings that conceal ground
surface.
 Areas covered by dense forest.
 Types of photographs
►Aerial ►Terrestri
al

►Obliqu
e
►Vertical
►Low oblique
►(does not include horizon)

►Truly Vertical
►High oblique
►(includes horizon)
►Tilted
►(1deg< angle < 3deg)

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►Of all these type of photographs, vertical
and low oblique aerial photographs are of
most interest to us as they are the ones most
extensively used for mapping purposes…

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 Aerial Photography
► Vertical aerial photographs are taken along parallel passes called
flight strips.
► Successive photographs along a flight strip overlap is called end lap
– 60%
► Area of common coverage called stereoscopic overlap area.

►Overlapping
photos called a
stereopair.

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Aerial Photography
 Flightlines

 Overlap

 Corrected and mosaiced

 Type: Pan, Colour, IR

 Aerial Mapping Camera

►Aerial mapping
cameras are the
traditional
imaging devices
used in traditional
photogrammetry.

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Scale of a Vertical Photo
f f
 S= or
H’ H-h

 f = focal length 6” or 152.4 mm is common

 H’ = height of plane above ground
 h = height (elevation) of ground
 H = height of place above datum [altimeter
reading (2% error)]
Relief Displacement

 Relief Displacement exists because photos are a

perspective projection.
 Use this to determine the height of object:
h= d (H’)
r
h = height of object
d = radial distance to top of object-radial distance to
bottom of object.
r = radial distance to top of object.
►As an explanation of the equations from which H is calculated:

Photographic Scale
► S = ab/AB = f/H
► SAB = ab/AB = La/LA = Lo/LO = f/(H-h)
► where
1) S is scale of vertical photograph over a flat terrain
2) SAB is scale of vertical photograph over variable terrain
3) ab is distance between images of points A and B on the
photograph
4) AB is actual distance between points A and B
5) f is focal length
6) La is distance between exposure station L & image a of
point A on the photo positive
7) LA is distance between exposure station L and point A
8) Lo = f is the distance from L to principal point on the
photograph
9) LO = H-h is the distance from L to projection of o onto the
horizontal plane containing point A with h being height of
point A from the datum plane
► Note: For vertical photographs taken over variable terrain,
there are an infinite number of different scales.
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Applications

 All natural resources disciplines

 Navigation and mapping

 Forest inventory

 Geologic surveys

 Natural hazards
 Land use change

 Wildlife habitat assessment

Photos – 1:15,000 = 4km x 4 km; 1:40,000 = 10km x 10km

Satellite images: 60 x 60 km ; 185 x 185km; 500 x 500 km

Photo Interpretation (Visual)
 Key interpretive elements
• Primary: Size, Shape, Tone, Texture, Pattern
• Additional: Site / Location, Association, Shadows,
Stereoscopic Appearance

Size, Shape, Site / Location

Change in characteristics with time

SPATIAL

(stereoscopic appearance)

TEMPORAL
Pattern, Texture, Shadow
SPECTRAL

Tone, Colour

Association , relationships
Aaerial photo: Kuala Lumpur
 ►Bare shingle beach

►Vegetated shingle ridges

►Mudflats and channels

►Scrubland
►Woodland

►Cliff-line

►Cultivated land (mottled)

►This photograph can be divided into many thematic classes

 Thematic Interpretation
• The evidence from a single photo is usually
quite limited. At the very least a stereo pair
will give surface relief and texture.
• Ideally different types of photo should be
used together - e.g. black & white plus
colour or infra-red. This a simple example
of so-called multispectral sensing
 Image enhancement: tone
• The histogram may also be used to
introduce false colour by coding each grey
level (or interval of levels) to a different
colour and mapping the pixels in the image
accordingly.
• This is termed density slicing and is
analogous to the colour coding used to show
elevation on a map in an atlas.
 Image enhancement: pattern
Image enhancement: pattern
• The human eye is very good at recognising
patterns (i.e. spatial structure). Many
photos thus require no enhancement for
successful interpretation.
Importance in Civil Engineering