KLT-IV v1.0: image velocimetry software for use with fixed and mobile platforms

Accurately monitoring river flows can be challenging, particularly under high-flow conditions. In recent years, there has been considerable development of remote sensing techniques for the determination of river flow dynamics. Image velocimetry is one particular approach which has been shown to accurately reconstruct surface velocities under a range of hydro-geomorphic conditions. Building on these advances, a new software package, KLT-IV v1.0, has been designed to offer a user-friendly graphical interface for the determination of river flow velocity and river discharge using videos acquired from a variety of fixed and mobile platforms. Platform movement can be accounted for when ground control points and/or stable features are present or where the platform is equipped with a differential GPS device and inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor. The application of KLT-IV v1.0 is demonstrated using two case studies at sites in the UK: (i) river Feshie and (ii) river Coquet. At these sites, footage is acquired from unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and fixed cameras. Using a combination of ground control points (GCPs) and differential GPS and IMU data to account for platform movement, image coordinates are converted to real-world distances and displacements. Flow measurements made with a UAS and fixed camera are used to generate a well-defined flow rating curve for the river Feshie. Concurrent measurements made by UAS and fixed camera are shown to deviate by < 4% under high-flow conditions where maximum velocities exceed 3ms(-1). The acquisition of footage on the river Coquet using a UAS equipped with differential GPS and IMU sensors enabled flow velocities to be precisely reconstructed along a 180m river reach. In-channel velocities of between 0.2 and 1ms(-1) are produced. Check points indicated that unaccounted-for motion in the UAS platform is in the region of 6 cm. These examples are provided to illustrate the potential for KLT-IV to be used for quantifying flow rates using videos collected from fixed or mobile camera systems.