Improving Ortho-rectification of UAV-based Push-broom Scanner Imagery using Derived Orthphotos from Frame Cameras

Low-cost unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs) are emerging as a promising platform for remote sensing data acquisition to satisfy a wide range of usage, with applications in the fields of agriculture, plant science, and mapping. UAVs have several advantages for use as a mobile mapping platform, such as being inexpensive, easy to store, and ease of deployment, as well as having the ability to fly lower and collect high resolution data. However, limited endurance and payload are the main disadvantages of consumer UAVs. These limitations lead to the necessary use of lower quality direct georeferencing and imaging systems, which impacts the overall functionality of the product.

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new method of improving the geolocation accuracy of captured images. This method utilizes line cameras equipped with a position and orientation sensor using RGB-based orthophotos from frame cameras. This approach has been successfully used to improve geolocation accuracy of real datasets collected by a quadcopter and fixed-wing UAVs over an agricultural field.

Advantages:

-Improved geolocation accuracy of images

-Simpler and more effective than current solutions

Potential Applications:

-Agriculture

-Plant science

-Mapping

TRL: 2

Intellectual Property:

Keywords: unmanned airborne vehicles, UAVs, remote sensing data acquisition, mobile mapping platform, high resolution data, geolocation accuracy, line cameras, position and orientation sensor, RGB-based orthophotos, frame cameras, Agriculture, Civil Engineering, Imaging, UAV