Terrestrial laser scan error in the presence of dense ground vegetation

Coveney, S. and Fotheringham, A.S. (2011) Terrestrial laser scan error in the presence of dense ground vegetation. Photogrammetric Record, 26(135), pp. 307-324. (doi: 10.1111/j.1477-9730.2011.00647.x)

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Abstract

Terrestrial Laser Scan (TLS) data are seeing increasing use in geology, geomorphology, forestry and urban mapping. The ease of use, affordability and operational flexibility of TLS suggests that demand for it is likely to increase in large scale mapping studies. However, its advantages may remain restricted to specific environments, due to difficulties in defining bare-ground level in the presence of ground level vegetation. This paper seeks to clarify the component contributions to TLS elevation error deriving from vegetation occlusion, scan co-registration error, point-cloud georeferencing error and target position-definition in TLS point-cloud data. A very high-resolution (c.250 points/m2) multi-scan single-returns TLS point-cloud data-set is acquired for an 11-hectare area of open, substantially flat and 100% vegetated coastal saltmarsh, providing data for the empirical quantification of TLS error. Errors deriving from the sources discussed are quantified, clarifying the potential proportional contribution of vegetation to other error sources. Initial data validation is applied to the TLS point-cloud data after application of a local-lowest-point selection process, and repeat validation tests are applied to the resulting filtered point-cloud after application of a kriging-based error-adjustment using a data fusion with GPS. The final results highlight the problem of representing bare-ground effectively within TLS data captured in the presence of dense ground vegetation and clarify the component contributions of elevation error deriving from surveying and data processing.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Coveney, Dr Seamus
Authors: Coveney, S., and Fotheringham, A.S.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
Journal Name:Photogrammetric Record
ISSN:0031-868X
ISSN (Online):1477-9730
Published Online:14 September 2011
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2011 The Authors. The Photogrammetric Record. Blackwell Publishing
First Published:First published in Photogrammetric Record 26(135):307-323
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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