Accuracy assessment of UAV-photogrammetric-derived products using PPK and GCPs in challenging terrains : in search of optimized rockfall mapping

Žabota, Barbara (author), Kobal, Milan (author)

Unmanned aerial photogrammetric surveys are increasingly being used for mapping and studying natural hazards, such as rockfalls. Surveys using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be performed in remote, hardly accessible, and dangerous areas, while the photogrammetricderived products, with high spatial and temporal accuracy, can provide us with detailed information about phenomena under consideration. However, as photogrammetry commonly uses indirect georeferencing through bundle block adjustment (BBA) with ground control points (GCPs), data acquisition in the field is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also extremely dangerous. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to investigate how accurate photogrammetric products can be produced by using BBA without GCPs and auxiliary data, namely using the coordinates X$_0$, Y$_0$ and Z$_0$ of the camera perspective centers computed with PPK (Post-Processing Kinematic). To this end, orthomosaics and digital surface models (DSMs) were produced for three rockfall sites by using images acquired with a DJI Phantom 4 RTK and the two different BBA methods mentioned above (hereafter referred to as BBA_traditional and BBA_PPK). The accuracy of the products, in terms of the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), was computed by using verification points (VPs). The accuracy of both BBA methods was also assessed. To test the differences between the georeferencing methods, two statistical test were used, namely a paired Student’s t-test, and a non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank. The results show that the accuracy of the BBA_PPK is inferior to that of BBA_traditional, with the total RMSE values for the three sites being 0.056, 0.066, and 0.305 m, respectively, compared to 0.019, 0.036 and 0.014 m obtained with BBA_traditional. The accuracies of the BBA methods are reflected in the accuracy of the orthomosaics, whose values for the BBA_PPK are 0.039, 0.043 and 0.157 m, respectively, against 0.029, 0.036 and 0.020 m obtained with the BBA_traditional. Concerning the DSM, those produced with the BBA_PPK method present accuracy values of 0.065, 0.072 and 0.261 m, respectively, against 0.038, 0.060 and 0.030 m obtained with the BBA_traditional. Even though that there are statistically significant differences between the georeferencing methods, one can state that the BBA_PPK presents a viable solution to map dangerous and exposed areas, such as rockfall transit and deposit areas, especially for applications at a regional level.

• Language: English
• Keywords: georeferencing, UAV, photogrammetry, GNSS, PPK, accuracy, bundle block adjustment, orthomosaic, digital surface model, rockfalls
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 31 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, iss. 19, art. 3812
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-136332
• UDC: 630*58
• ISSN on article: 2072-4292
• DOI: 10.3390/rs13193812
• COBISS.SI-ID: 77631491
• Publication date in RUL: 25.04.2022

ŽABOTA, Barbara and KOBAL, Milan, 2021, Accuracy assessment of UAV-photogrammetric-derived products using PPK and GCPs in challenging terrains : in search of optimized rockfall mapping. Remote sensing [online]. 2021. Vol. 13, no. 19,  3812. [Accessed 17 May 2025]. DOI 10.3390/rs13193812. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=136332

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Remote sensing
• Shortened title: Remote sens.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2072-4292
• COBISS.SI-ID: 32345133

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.10.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: fotogrametrija, ortomozaik, digitalni površinski model, skalni podori, gozdovi

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: Interreg Alpine Space
• Project number: ASP 462
• Name: ROCKtheALPS

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: Interreg Alpine Space
• Project number: ASP 635
• Name: GreenRisk4ALPs