Topographic investigation from a low altitude unmanned aerial vehicle

Aerial imaging techniques used before the arrival of unmanned aerial vehicles had several limitations, including limited flight performance, low resolution in certain situations, and high cost. Artificial satellites can be used to collect very large images covering vast areas of the ground surface. Nonetheless, the acquisition is very slow and only possible in clear weather. In addition, there are situations where high-resolution images are difficult to obtain through a satellite because as the coverage increases, the level of detail of the obtained images decreases. To obtain high-resolution aerial images of small areas, unmanned aerial systems allow the recording of images in great detail. This paper aims to perform optical 3D measurements using a combination of optical profilometry techniques and a remote-controlled air vehicle by a ground operator. The system is essentially a camera, a miniature projector, and a lightweight ultrasound sensor attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The technique discussed here can record smaller sites and generate topography with great detail to record topographical maps of small landscapes.