UAV for 3D Morphological Mapping Applications: A Case Study of Koru Mining Site, Canakkale, NW Turkey

Abstract

The use of UAV has steadily increased over the past decade, and it has been seen as a standard research tool for obtaining images and other information on demand. Nowadays, UAV platforms are a valuable source of data for inspection, surveillance, mapping and 3D modelling problems for earth sciences, especially in all engineering and technical fields. New applications have been introduced for the short-and close-range domain in mining sites, UAVs are a low-cost alternative to classical manned aerial photogrammetry to generate detailed 3D models and orthophoto. In this paper, a workflow of UAV photogrammetry with the use of a widely accessible digital camera was employed, for 3D reconstruction and feature extraction of a mining site. In addition, a detailed accuracy assessment for the products using low-cost UAV was performed for 3D morphological modelling and feature extraction. The obtained results are illustrated in detail on the examples. Their comparison with the results of the conventional surveying systems was provided.