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The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity landed in Gale crater (Mars) in August 2012. It has since been studying the lower part of the 5 km-high sedimentary pile that composes Gale’s central mound, Aeolis Mons. To assess the sedimentary record, the MSL team mainly uses a suite of imagers onboard the rover, providing various pixel sizes and fields of view from close to long-range observations. For this latter, we notably use the Remote Micro Imager (RMI), a subsystem of the ChemCam instrument that acts as 700 mm-focal length telescope, providing the smallest angular pixel size of the set of cameras on the Remote Sensing Mast. The RMI allows observations of remote outcrops up to a few kilometers away from the rover. As retrieving 3D information is critical to characterize the structures of the sedimentary deposits, we describe in this work an experiment aiming at computing for the first time with RMI Digital Outcrop Models of these distant outcrops. We show that Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry can successfully be applied to suitable sets of individual RMI frames to reconstruct the 3D shape and relief of these distant outcrops. These results show that a dedicated set of observations can be envisaged to characterize the most interesting geological features surrounding the rover.

Most of the existing image segmentation methods have a strong anti-noise ability but are susceptible to the interference in the background, so they are not suitable for 3-D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image target extraction. Region of interest (ROI) extraction can improve the anti-interference ability of the image segmentation methods. However, the existing ROI extraction method uses the same threshold to process all the images in the data set. This threshold is not optimal for each image. Designed for 3-D SAR image target extraction, we propose an ROI extraction algorithm with adaptive threshold (REAT) to enhance the anti-interference ability of the existing image segmentation methods. The required thresholds in the proposed algorithm are adaptively obtained by the mapping of the image features. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can easily be applied to existing image segmentation methods. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the anti-interference ability and computational efficiency of the image segmentation methods. Compared with the existing ROI extraction algorithm, the proposed algorithm improves the dice similarity coefficient by 6.4%.

The Taurus-Littrow valley on the Moon was the location of intensive geologic fieldwork during three days in December 1972. In situ activities at sampling stations were systematically documented by the astronauts using a series of overlapping images taken with their Hasselblad cameras. We investigated how this Apollo image archive can be used to perform 3-D reconstructions of several boulders of interest using close-range photogrammetry. We specifically focused on seven different boulders located at Stations 2, 6, and 7, at the foot of South and North Massifs, respectively. These boulders represent samples from highland materials, which rolled down the slopes of the surrounding hills. We used the Agisoft Metashape software to compute 3-D reconstructions of these boulders, using 173 scanned images as input. We then used either a web-based platform or a game engine to render the models in virtual reality. This allowed the users to walk around the boulders and to investigate in detail their morphology, fractures, vesicles, color variations, and sampling spots, as if standing directly in front of them with the astronauts. This work suggests that many features can be reconstructed in other sites of the Apollo missions, so as other robotic landing sites. Virtual reality techniques coupled to photogrammetry is thus opening a new era of exploration, both for past and future landing sites.

Three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of building roofs can be an essential prerequisite for 3-D building change detection, which is important for detection of informal buildings or extensions and for update of 3-D map database. However, automatic 3-D roof reconstruction from the remote sensing data is still in its development stage for a number of reasons. For instance, there are difficulties in determining the neighbourhood relationships among the planes on a complex building roof, locating the step edges from point cloud data often requires additional information or may impose constraints, and missing roof planes attract human interaction and often produces high reconstruction errors. This research introduces a new 3-D roof reconstruction technique that constructs an adjacency matrix to define the topological relationships among the roof planes. It identifies any missing planes through an analysis using the 3-D plane intersection lines between adjacent planes. Then, it generates new planes to fill gaps of missing planes. Finally, it obtains complete building models through insertion of approximate wall planes and building floor. The reported research in this paper then uses the generated building models to detect 3-D changes in buildings. Plane connections between neighbouring planes are first defined to establish relationships between neighbouring planes. Then, each building in the reference and test model sets is represented using a graph data structure. Finally, the height intensity images, and if required the graph representations, of the reference and test models are directly compared to find and categorise 3-D changes into five groups: new, unchanged, demolished, modified and partially-modified planes. Experimental results on two Australian datasets show high object- and pixel-based accuracy in terms of completeness, correctness, and quality for both 3-D roof reconstruction and change detection techniques. The proposed change detection technique is robust to various changes including addition of a new veranda to or removal of an existing veranda from a building and increase of the height of a building.

In the past, many algorithms have been applied for three-dimensional (3-D) single tree extraction using Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) data. Clustering based algorithms are widely used in different applications but rarely being they used in the field of forestry using ALS data as an input. In this paper, a comparative qualitative study was conducted using the iterative partitioning and hierarchical clustering based mechanisms and full waveform ALS data as an input to extract the individual trees/tree crowns in their most appropriate shape. The full waveform LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) data was collected from the Waldkirch black forest area in the south-western part of Germany in August 2005 with density of 4–5 points/m2. Both the clustering algorithms were used in their original and modified form for a comparative qualitative analysis of the results obtained in the form of individual clusters containing 3-D points for each tree/tree crown. A total of 378 trees were found in all the 1.2 ha area with height ranging from 15 m to 50.9 m. The forest contains mainly older trees with deciduous, coniferous and mixed stands. The findings showed that among the three kind of clustering methods applied (normal k-means, modified k-means and hierarchical clustering), the modified k-means algorithm using external seed points and scaling down the height for initialization of the clustering process was the most promising method for the extraction of clusters of individual trees/tree crowns. A 3-D reconstruction of extracted individual clusters was carried out using QHull algorithm. In this study, the result was not possible to validate quantitatively due to lack of the field inventory data.

In the past, many algorithms have been applied for three-dimensional (3-D) single tree extraction using Airborne Laser Scanner (ALS) data. Clustering based algorithms are widely used in different applications but rarely being they used in the field of forestry using ALS data as an input. In this paper, a comparative qualitative study was conducted using the iterative partitioning and hierarchical clustering based mechanisms and full waveform ALS data as an input to extract the individual trees/tree crowns in their most appropriate shape. The full waveform LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) data was collected from the Waldkirch black forest area in the south-western part of Germany in August 2005 with density of 4-5 points/m². Both the clustering algorithms were used in their original and modified form for a comparative qualitative analysis of the results obtained in the form of individual clusters containing 3-D points for each tree/tree crown. A total of 378 trees were found in all the 1.2 ha area with height ranging from 15 m to 50.9 m. The forest contains mainly older trees with deciduous, coniferous and mixed stands. The findings showed that among the three kind of clustering methods applied (normal k-means, modified k-means and hierarchical clustering), the modified k-means algorithm using external seed points and scaling down the height for initialization of the clustering process was the most promising method for the extraction of clusters of individual trees/tree crowns. A 3-D reconstruction of extracted individual clusters was carried out using QHull algorithm. In this study, the result was not possible to validate quantitatively due to lack of the field inventory data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the existing image segmentation methods have a strong anti-noise ability but are susceptible to the interference in the background, so they are not suitable for 3-D synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image target extraction. Region of interest (ROI) extraction can improve the anti-interference ability of the image segmentation methods. However, the existing ROI extraction method uses the same threshold to process all the images in the data set. This threshold is not optimal for each image. Designed for 3-D SAR image target extraction, we propose an ROI extraction algorithm with adaptive threshold (REAT) to enhance the anti-interference ability of the existing image segmentation methods. The required thresholds in the proposed algorithm are adaptively obtained by the mapping of the image features. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can easily be applied to existing image segmentation methods. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the anti-interference ability and computational efficiency of the image segmentation methods. Compared with the existing ROI extraction algorithm, the proposed algorithm improves the dice similarity coefficient by 6.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity landed in Gale crater (Mars) in August 2012. It has since been studying the lower part of the 5 km-high sedimentary pile that composes Gale's central mound, Aeolis Mons. To assess the sedimentary record, the MSL team mainly uses a suite of imagers onboard the rover, providing various pixel sizes and fields of view from close to long-range observations. For this latter, we notably use the Remote Micro Imager (RMI), a subsystem of the ChemCam instrument that acts as 700 mm-focal length telescope, providing the smallest angular pixel size of the set of cameras on the Remote Sensing Mast. The RMI allows observations of remote outcrops up to a few kilometers away from the rover. As retrieving 3D information is critical to characterize the structures of the sedimentary deposits, we describe in this work an experiment aiming at computing for the first time with RMI Digital Outcrop Models of these distant outcrops. We show that Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry can successfully be applied to suitable sets of individual RMI frames to reconstruct the 3D shape and relief of these distant outcrops. These results show that a dedicated set of observations can be envisaged to characterize the most interesting geological features surrounding the rover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taurus-Littrow valley on the Moon was the location of intensive geologic fieldwork during three days in December 1972. In situ activities at sampling stations were systematically documented by the astronauts using a series of overlapping images taken with their Hasselblad cameras. We investigated how this Apollo image archive can be used to perform 3-D reconstructions of several boulders of interest using close-range photogrammetry. We specifically focused on seven different boulders located at Stations 2, 6, and 7, at the foot of South and North Massifs, respectively. These boulders represent samples from highland materials, which rolled down the slopes of the surrounding hills. We used the Agisoft Metashape software to compute 3-D reconstructions of these boulders, using 173 scanned images as input. We then used either a web-based platform or a game engine to render the models in virtual reality. This allowed the users to walk around the boulders and to investigate in detail their morphology, fractures, vesicles, color variations, and sampling spots, as if standing directly in front of them with the astronauts. This work suggests that many features can be reconstructed in other sites of the Apollo missions, so as other robotic landing sites. Virtual reality techniques coupled to photogrammetry is thus opening a new era of exploration, both for past and future landing sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of building roofs can be an essential prerequisite for 3-D building change detection, which is important for detection of informal buildings or extensions and for update of 3-D map database. However, automatic 3-D roof reconstruction from the remote sensing data is still in its development stage for a number of reasons. For instance, there are difficulties in determining the neighbourhood relationships among the planes on a complex building roof, locating the step edges from point cloud data often requires additional information or may impose constraints, and missing roof planes attract human interaction and often produces high reconstruction errors. This research introduces a new 3-D roof reconstruction technique that constructs an adjacency matrix to define the topological relationships among the roof planes. It identifies any missing planes through an analysis using the 3-D plane intersection lines between adjacent planes. Then, it generates new planes to fill gaps of missing planes. Finally, it obtains complete building models through insertion of approximate wall planes and building floor. The reported research in this paper then uses the generated building models to detect 3-D changes in buildings. Plane connections between neighbouring planes are first defined to establish relationships between neighbouring planes. Then, each building in the reference and test model sets is represented using a graph data structure. Finally, the height intensity images, and if required the graph representations, of the reference and test models are directly compared to find and categorise 3-D changes into five groups: new, unchanged, demolished, modified and partially-modified planes. Experimental results on two Australian datasets show high object- and pixel-based accuracy in terms of completeness, correctness, and quality for both 3-D roof reconstruction and change detection techniques. The proposed change detection technique is robust to various changes including addition of a new veranda to or removal of an existing veranda from a building and increase of the height of a building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]