AU621584B2

AU621584B2 – Large scale ariel mapping
– Google Patents

AU621584B2 – Large scale ariel mapping
– Google Patents
Large scale ariel mapping

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Publication number
AU621584B2

AU621584B2
AU29242/89A
AU2924289A
AU621584B2
AU 621584 B2
AU621584 B2
AU 621584B2
AU 29242/89 A
AU29242/89 A
AU 29242/89A
AU 2924289 A
AU2924289 A
AU 2924289A
AU 621584 B2
AU621584 B2
AU 621584B2
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AU
Australia
Prior art keywords
flight
camera
reconnaissance
surveying
picture
Prior art date
1988-01-28
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AU29242/89A
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AU2924289A
(en

Inventor
Heiko Schmidt V. Braun
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HEIKO SCHMIDT V BRAUN

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HEIKO SCHMIDT V BRAUN
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1988-01-28
Filing date
1989-01-12
Publication date
1992-03-19

1988-01-28
Priority claimed from DE3802541A
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patent/DE3802541A1/en

1989-01-12
Application filed by HEIKO SCHMIDT V BRAUN
filed
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HEIKO SCHMIDT V BRAUN

1989-08-25
Publication of AU2924289A
publication
Critical
patent/AU2924289A/en

1992-03-19
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granted
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1992-03-19
Publication of AU621584B2
publication
Critical
patent/AU621584B2/en

2009-01-12
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legal-status
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Status
Ceased
legal-status
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Classifications

G—PHYSICS

G01—MEASURING; TESTING

G01C—MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY

G01C11/00—Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying

G01C11/02—Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures

G—PHYSICS

G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY

G03B—APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR

G03B15/00—Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor

G03B15/006—Apparatus mounted on flying objects

Description

A.i OPL- DA-TE 25/08&/89 APPLN. ID 29242 89
PCT
An. E 88/ 1 NUMBER PCT/EP89/00027 INTERNATIONALE ANMEL T INTERNATIONALE ZUSAM… A. Al. (51) Internationale Patentklassifikation 4 (11) Internationale Veriffentlichungsnummer: WO 89/ 07240 GO1C 11/02, GO3B 15/00 Al (43) Internationales Verijffentlichungsdatum: 10. August 1989 (10.08.89) (21) Internatioaales Aktenzeichen: PCT/EP89/00027 (81) Bestimmungsstaaten: AU, BR, HU, JP, KP, KR, SU,
US.
(22) Internationales Anmeldedatum: 12. Januar 1989 (12.01.89) Veriffentlicht Mit internationalem Recherchenbericht.
(31) Priorititsaktenzeichen: P 38 02 541.8 (32) Priorititsdatum: 28. Januar 1988 (28.01.88) (33) Priorititsland: DE (71)(72) Anmelder und Erfinder: SCHMIDT V. BRAUN, Heiko [DE/DE]; Tankenrain, Salzgraben 2, D-8120 Weilheim (DE).
(74) Anwalt: BEETZ SEN.-BEETZ JUN.-TIMPE-SIEG- FRIED-SCHMITT-FUM IAN-MAYR; Steinsdorfstrage 10, D-8000 Miinchen 22 (DE).
(54) Title: LARGE-SCALE MAPPING OF PARAMETERS OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES IN NATUR- AL ENVIRONMENTS (54) Bezeichnung: GROSSMASSTASSLICHES KARTIEREN VON PARAMETrRN MEHRDIMENSIONALER STRUKTUREN IN NATURRAUMEN (57) Abstract In a process for large-scale mapping of parameters of multidimensional structures in a natural environment, aerial survey photographs of the natural environment or regions thereof are taken during first photographic surveying flights at a flight altitude of approximately 150 to 500 m above the ground using reconnaissance cameras in combination with telelens cameras Detailed photographs of the section of the region covered by the reconnaissance cameras are obtained from said aerial survey photographs. The aerial survey photographs are identified in terms of their position in the natural environment by means of orientation devices and evaluated using photogrammetric methods. The recorded data concerning the natural environment of a structure are allocated to the co-ordinates of the structure in the natural environment and can be accessed as desired.
(57) Zusammenfassung Verfahren zur groamalstblichen Kartierung von Parametern mehrdimensionaler Strukturen in Naturriumen. Der zu kartierende Naturraum oder Teilbereiche daraus werden crfindungsgemaR bei ersten Bildfliigen in einer Flugh6he zwischen etwa 150 m bis 500 m iiber dem Boden mit mit Erkundungskammern in Kombination mit Telekammern zur Erstellung von Detailaufnahmen aus dem durch die Erkundungskammern abgedeckten Bereichsausschnitt aufgenommenen Reihenmeluftbildern erfat. Die Reihenmegluftbilder werden mittels Orientierungshilfen hinsichtlich ihrer Lage im Naturraum festgelegt und unter Anwendung photogrammetrischer Methoden ausgewertet. Die ermittelten Naturraumdaten einer Struktur werden den Koordinaten der Struktur im Naturraum selektiv abrufbar zugeordnet.
cR 2r A. V
I
-la- The present invention relates to a method for the large scale mapping of parameters of multi-dimensional structures in natural environments, and to a photographic aircraft which is particularly suited for carrying out said method.
Experts in a variety of fields are interested in obtaining comprehensive information on conditions in natural environments or ranges, which may be processed further to serve as a basis for inventories, schemes or predictions on future changes in such ranges.
By “natural environment” the living space or ‘lebensraum’ of the human being on the earth’s surface is meant, including the solum and the atmosphere enlivened with plants, and the external influences with their effects on this natural environment. The mapping of the natural environment or range is an ecological mapping of the world-wide human ‘lebensraum’ and the hazards involved with use by humans within the limits and possibilities described by the methodology.
As a very recent example the ‘waldsterben’ inventory may be mentioned on the one hand, which must be made at certain intervals in order to render visible any changes during a particular period of time, which inventory is to serve as a basis for decisions when having to take counter-measures. In the Alps, in addition, the condition of the slopes is of primary interest, as certain parameters, such as the density of vegetation, the species of the plants and trees growing there, the health condition of these plants, the permeability to humidity of the individual layers of the earth, 0 i -2etc. are an indicium for the expert as to future developments, such as slipping slopes and gravel avalanches.
Also for the planning of interferences with a rangeland a comprehensive knowledge of the prevailing conditions is indispensable. Prior to revegetating, the quality of the soil and the humidity have to be checked, for instance, so as to be able to make the correct choice as to what is to be planted.
In the case of very large areas of rangeland, mapping from the air will be preferable considering time as mapping processes on the ground inevitably will permit covering only very small sections, respectively, of an area of rangeland, and are moreover time-consuming. Such mapping from the air for the purposes of detecting environmental parameters with the help of a photographic aircraft equipped with a reconnaissance camera is known from the article Moderne photographische Fernerkundungsverfahren im Dienste der Umweltforschung by S. Schneider in Photo-Technik und -Wirtschaft, No. 4, volume 23, April 1972, pages 92-96.
Using the example of an inventory of damages done to forests another conventional proceeding in air mapping be explained in the following.
In this method picture-taking techniques are employed which, in a very similar form, are already known from the aerophotogrammetry. The aerophotogrammetry is essentially made use of for surveying the surface of the earth. As this is being done, the photographic aircraft flies over an area that is to be surveyed at an altitude of, as a rule, 1000 m abov. the ground surface, whilst with the aid of a series surveying camera directed vertically downwardly partially overlapping photogaphs are taken which are subsequently surveyed.
i- Oi j Is 1 I _l t So far, although normal aerial photographs have permitted good space and inventory planning, a detailed identification, for instance an infallible identification of tree species, the measuring of heights and thicknesses of individual trees or the surveying of conditions in a particular place, was not possible because of scale conditions (maximally 1 2000). The main reconnoitering work still had to be done on the terrain, involving much time and high costs whilst producing the typical error rate. The data obtained by this technique in most cases is not reproducible. A survey of whole areas right down to details having a size of only one centimeter was not even to be considered when it was a question of covering some 100,000 ha per year.
However, precisely this is required in view of the rapidly progressing changes in the environmental main indicator With the help of infrared false colour films it is possible to clearly discern dry foliage from green succulent foliage.
This permits distinguishing in wood areas between trees that have already died off and healthy ones which would not be recognizable any more from this height on a film having a spectral sensitivity which corresponds to that of the human eye. Such false colour infrared films are very expensive and difficult to handle. Furthermore, the usual flying height in aerophotogrammctry requires sufficiently clear wheater conditions and a high position of the sun (summer), which must be taken account of in planning the duration of such an inventory. Altogether, this method for the mapping of damage to forests may be described as being comparatively costly and lengthy as a result of its dependency on the whcather.
This is diametrically opposed to the acute need for information in this specific field.
Although the use of infrared and infrared false colour films I k t -4considerably increases the possibility to reconnoiter details from higher altitudes, there are some limitations due to the requirement for absolutely perfect whether conditions at the times when the solar year is at its highest, so that the period of operation is limited to about six weeks per annum and all aircraft of a particular area must permanently be ready during this period in order to permit making any statements on large areas following evaluation at all. Six weeks of rain are by all means possible during the time when the sun is in its highest position, so that flights and evaluation cannot be calculated economically. Moreover, the price of a developed infrared false colour film is about ten times higher than that of a black-and-white film with a higher resolution.
Additionally, the emulsion of a false colour film is considerably more critical to storage conditions than that for a black-and white film. The requirements for handling a false colour film are considerably higher as concerns film measuring before take-off, and also for further processing during developing. Thus, from experience, with a few exceptions, photo-laboratories are not in a position to produce identical colour temperatures of identical objects over many years. This, however, is a decisive requirement for the information an infrared false colour film may have.
in certain analyses there also may be used an electron scan process which is conducted with the aid of a photographic aircraft, wherein merely the picture-taking camera is replaced by an electronic reflectance detector.
The scanning method of large wooded areas results in a wide field of electronically automated image processing operations yielding very interesting individual results.
These, however, can be taken care of only by expert personnel when data is to be obtained on areas that is to be exploited for forestry in practice, as this personnel must L/ L i be capable of coping with the two subjects (practical forestry scanning technology) equally well. This requirement cannot be complied with at present.
Hence, this method, too, has the disadvantages of the above-described process as far as costs and time are concerned, the latter factor being more critical still in that for implementing the electron scanning process a certain position of the sun is required, which enables trouble-free surveyance only during a few days of the year.
In addition, although with the method mentioned above a number of parameters may be made clearly visible other parameters cannot be made visible with this method.
S: Thus, for example, resolution of the films used at the altitude mentioned does not suffice as a rule to safely distinguish certain species of trees or to make detailed statements on the geological conditions in this S 20 environment.
It is an object of the present invention to indicate a method for the large-scale mapping of parameters of multi-dimensional structures in natural environments as S 25 well as a photographic aircraft that is particularly suited for carrying out said method, in that it permits mapping of such ranges at a favourable price and wholly within a short period of time with respect to a large .0 number of detectable parameters of multi-dimensional structures, According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for the large-scale mapping of parameters of multi-dimensional structures in natural environments, wherein stereo-photographs are made in the natural environment using a wide-angle reconnaissance camera during picture-taking flights, characterized in that the natural environment or range to be mapped or 9201 .gjnd -it.48,2 0 24.res,5
A
sections thereof are detected during picture-taking flights at a flight altitude between 150 and 500 m above ground by means of a wide-angle reconnaissance camera adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the flight axis in combination with a xele-reconnaissance camera adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the flight axis for making detailed images from a series of aerial surveying pictures taken in the range section covered by the wide-angle reconnaissance camera, the position of the aerial surveying pictures is determined, for instance, in a Gaup-KrOger net by means of orienting aids using aerophotogrammatic techniques, the coordinates of the structures of interest are subjected to largescale surveying, from the series aerial surveying pictures and in particular from the detailed images the *i parameter data of these structures are determined and are stored for the mapping of these parameters in a form so as to be assigned to said coordinates and to be selectively interrogable.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a photographic aircraft comprising at least a photographic aircraft, in particular for effecting aerial photographs according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one series surveying camera directed vertically downwardly, characterized by a wideangle reconnaissance chamber adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and by a telereconnaissance camera adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft for making detailed images of the range sect.-n covered by the wide-angle reconnaissance camera, and by a video camera oriented in longitudinal direction of the aircraft, into the display *f 1 20108,ndat.e48,2242.res,6ame a A
U
5b screen of which the flight track and the orientation of the reconnaissance camera projected in the direction of flight may be displayed, with the location at which triggering of the reconnaissance cameras occurs being marked.
Picture-taking flights which are performed for surveying purposes regularly take place at comparatively great heights, ranging between some 1000 and 3000 m above ground,
S
*0
S
9201 0S,gjnd&Lt.048,29242,res,7 w,- -6a- under these circumstances the image distortions occurring at the margin of every photograph can be kept low.
Furthermore, the sections on the earth’s surface covered per photograph are comparatively large so that large areas can be surveyed comparatively quickly to the precise point. The techniques so far employed to render certain structures on the earth’s surface visible are adopting without any criticism the aerogrammatic photographic flight methods, and in particular also their flight heigts, in an attempt to render the structures of interest visible by the use of a specific film material. It is obvious that this method reaches its boundaries whenever parameters of structures are to be covered which cannot be brought out selectively because of certain properties of the film material. On the other hand, resulution of stereo-photographs taken from a great height is strongly restricted in vertical direction.
Now, if one changes over from the usual flight heights in photogrammetry to considerably lower flight heights, this results in a number of consequences which have to be weighed one against” the another. On the one hand, resolution of the photographs increases so that the structures of interest may be read off from the pictures directly without any specially prepared film material being necessary to this end. As a result thereof, instead of the, for example, very expensive infrared false colour films comparatively inexpensive black-and-white films may be used, on which the expert may readily discern whether the foliage of threes that have been photographed is dried out or not. Furthermore, plant species may be distinguished which on a false colour film would have produced merely areas of identical colour. From the fact that in particular areas particular species of plants are growing the expert, in turn, can draw conclusions as to the soil condition and humidity.
On the other hand, the projective influences on the photographs increase, leading to distortions. These distor- 7t.ions, however, can be put up with as long as it is possible to clearly associate the photograph with a particular section of a range, for example with the GauB-Krtger net. In the fields of application of the method according to the invention, however, it is primarily a question of performing large-scale relative surveying of structures, and not of performing an all-round survey of a range as such. This has the further consequence that the photographic flights performed in the method according to the invention do not have to meet the severe requirements for orientation of the aircraft as is the case with aerophotogrammetric land surveying procedures.
Furthermore, the low flight altitude according to the invention permits it to take pictures at a low angle of inclination relative to the horizontal from the aicraft without the image widths becoming so large that structures of interest cannot be resolved any more. The combination of at least two of such pictures taken laterally from the aircraft at different angles of inclination and directed to the same structures, respectively, facilitatescomprehensive viewing of the structures of interest so that parameters such as heights and thicknesses of trees can be read from the combination of different pictures, which cannot be detected with the conventional mapping methods.
Hence, this partial aspect, relating to the picture-taking technique, facilitates it to work with comparatively cheap film material and to perform photographic flights where the requirements on aircraft equipment are low whilst evaluation of the pictures is not affected. The low flight height has the further advantage that the dependency on weather conditions is not as high as with photographic flights that take place at great altitudes. Any weather, especially a clouded sky, is good enough for taking a photograph as long 4 as the viewing distance is at least equal to the picture- -8taking distance.
Evaluation of the pictures taken in this way comprises the following steps: Assuming that the section of the range in which parameters of structures of interest are to be evaluated has been surveyed, the photographs to be evaluated in a first step are set with respect to their position in the range concerned, fnr example in the Gau8-KrUger net. Preferably a computer produces a perspective view of the surface of the earth with the section of interest, using an input topographic or map of the section of the range of interest. With the aid of a photogrammetric evaluation device the coordinates of a structure of interest are determined, and the parameters of relevance of this structure are directly taken from what is shown on the photograph or from a digitalized form of the picture and surveyed, respectively.
The values of the parameters are input into the computer under the address of the coordinate determined of the structure of interest for storage in a memory from which the parameters may be read selectively.
In this way particular groups of parameters or particular structures can be interrogated separately from one another, and there can be produced statistics, maps or charts dealing with individual parameter groups selectively in each case.
or in which such parameter groups are combined. This evaluation technique has the following great advantages: I. Evaluation of the black-and-white image material is based on identification of structures and the parameters thereof in a form in which the human eye also sees it in Nature. The large-scale pictures permit an identification of details corresponding to the condition a “scientist is in when -9measuring the object on the site”. This means that evaluation may be performed by persons who, although being experts with respect to the structures of interest to them, are no specialists at evaluating specific photographs, as is the case with infrared false colour pictures and electron the condition of a wood or forest a forest expert will take care of evalutation of the pictures without him having to receive any special instructions to “this end.
2. The large-scale photographs are evaluated by experts of the respective structures by measuring. This means that the evaluation results are reproducible at any time and that, moreover, the data memory exlusively contains reproducible data of relevance in the particular field, and in a spatially oriented form. This absolutely first-class data material complies with any statistic requirements and permits interlinkage also of data of various structures falling within different fields, so as to be able to give field-overlapping answers. This is absolutely indispensible in order to be able to work on complex processes and to give satisfactory answers to such complex questions.
3- The assigning of the parameters detected of a structure of interest to the coordinates of the structure in the range and the storage thereof in a computer facilitate the selective reading of particular parameter classes for a range section so that, again, to the non-expert in the field of evaluation of aerial photographs the desired information can be made accessible in a well comprehensible and graspable way.
4. The selectively retrievable assignment of different parameters to the coordinates of the structures of interest in the range facilitates the dialogue of experts from I yvarious fields, which is an indispensable necessity when it i I the wide-angle reconnaissance camera, the position of the aerial surveying pictures is determined, for instance, in a Gaup-KrUger net by means of orienting aids using aerophotogrammatic techniques, the coordinates of the structures of interest are subjected to large-scale I surveying, from the series aerial surveying pictures and /2 I! IlL:_: II I I. 1 Im___ 1 i II .r l comes to solving, for example, problems concerning environmental damage done to ranges.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the orientation of the individual picture-taking cameras and of the video finder, respectively, in a photographic aircraft; Fig. 2 shows the cross-faded orientation aids on the display screen of a video finder system; and Fig. 3 shows an information plate for display on a computer screen, exhibiting particular data assigned to a coordinate of a structure of interest.
In Fig. 1 a flight track FT has been plotted on which ,three cameras and a video detection camera are shown.
20 The arrow FR points in the flying direction. The photographic aircraft itself is not shown in the drawing for reasons of simplification. The flight track is at a constant height h above ground to the extent to which the condition of the surface of the range permits it. The flight altitude is preferably between about 150 and 500 metres above the ground. In a very mountainous area a powerful photographic aircraft (profile flying) is required in order to maintain a height which is as constant as possible. This is in particular so if valleys are to be flown over in transverse dire.,tion to their longitudinal extension.
From left to right the flight track (FT) shows the following: A series surveying camera 1 oriented vertically downwardly, a wide-angle reconnaissance camera 2 inclined laterally 9201 O,gjnd a L048,29242.res, 11downwardly transversely of the direction of flight, a tele-camera 3 having about the same orientation as the wide-angle reconnaissance camera 2, and a video camera 4 oriented diagonally downwardly in the direction of flight.
Like the wide-angle reconnaissance camera and the tele-camera, the series surveying camera 1 is equipped with a black-and-white film for taking series of aerial photographs whose time sequence is triggered with the picture-taking instants of the cameras 2 and 3, and which are intended for orienting respectively position determining the structures photographed in the range. The photos are evaluated in accordance with the techniques known from aerophotogrammetry.
The wide-angle reconnaissance camera 2 is a wide-angle camera having an aperture angle of up to 1800, which is oriented laterally outwr.rds and diagonally downwards from the aircraft as well as transversely of the direction of flight. The reconnaissance camera 2 is directed to a section of the range in which structilres of interest occur. This may, for instance, be a wood whose irees are to be examined.
With the aid of the tele-camera 3, which can be adjusted in the picture-taking direction during the flight, partial sections 6 of the photographed sections 5 of the reconnaissance camera that are of particular interest may be reproduced in enlarged form so as to be able to better I evaluate individual parameters of the structures of interest. Thus, for instance, the tele-camera 3 can be directed to the edges of clearings or woods in order to obtain lateral photographs of trees, permitting statements on the sizes of the trees and the thicknesses of their trunks.
Both the reconnaissance camera 2 and the tele-camera 3 are adjustable within certain limits relative to the angles they i ler Strukturen in Naturraumen. Der zu kartierende Naturraum oder Teilbereiche dar- aus werden cifindungsgemaR bei ersten Bildfliigen in einer Flugh6he zwischen etwa 150 m bis 500 m iber dem Boden mit mit Erkundungskammern in Kombination mit Telekammern zur Erstellung von Detailaufnahmen aus dem durch die Erkundungskammern abgedeckten Bereichsausschnitt aufgenommenen Reihenmeluftbildern erfast. Die Reihenmegluftbilder werden mittels Orientierungshilfen hinsichtlich ihrer Lage im Naturraum festgelegt und unter Anwendung photogrammetrischer Methoden ausgewertet. Die ermittelten Naturraumdaten einer Struktur werden den Koordinaten der Struktur im Naturraum selektiv abrufbar zugeordnet.
-12are defining with the direction of flight, so that series aerial surveying pictures may be taken from at least two different photographic directions, transversely of the flying direction. Furthermore, also their inclination relative to the horizontal may be chosen freely, so that also here, in the case of suitable structures, aerial photographs may be taken at two different angles by flying over the section of interest of the range twice.
There are limits to the angles at which the reconnaissance camera 2 and the tele-camera 3 are oriented relative to the vertical, the horizontal and the direction of flight due to restrictions in the evaluation technique, which limits are reached if distortions of the structures of interest on account of the perspective photograph cannot be compensated any more arithmetically. This is particularly true of photographs that are taken laterally from the aircraft both diagonally downwardly and transversely of the direction of flight diagonally forwardly or diagonally backwardly.
Conveniently, the surveying cameras 1 to 3 are equipped with devices for the automated measuring of the object widths and the aircraft speed and for adjusting the objects accordingly. To this end, radar distance meters as used in aerophotogrammetry are particularly suited. Such automated camera adjusting is important in particular if small mountain valleys have to be flown through at a low altitude and the lateral distance between the mountain slopes and the flight track changes greatly in rapid succession.
A video camera system 4 comprising one to four video cameras is oriented diagonally downwardly in the direction of flight and is preferably provided with a panorama optics, so that on a monitor screen the examinable “field of vision” of the aerial photographic optics may be reproduced. Simultaneously, the film taken by the video camera can be recorded on
T-V.
P of vegetation, the species of the plants and trees growing there, the health condition of these plants, the permeability to humidity of the individual layers of the earth, S I -13tape, which may accelerate the later locating of certain picture sequences and picture data with orientations on evaluation. During the picture-taking flight, the person handling the photographic cameras can observe on the monitor when and where structures of interest come into the field of vision of the reconnaissance and of the tele-camera, respectively. In order to facilitate such orienting of the reconnaissance camera 2 and the tele-camera 3 to structures of interest, a system is preferably provided which is coupled to the suspension of each one of the cameras, enabling display of the projections of the flight track extended in the direction of flight and of the image sections (11, 12) detected with the aid of the reconnaissance camera respectively the tele-camera at their current orientation.
Fig. 2 is a schematic view of these orientation aids in the panorama picture as taken by the video camera. The broken-line arrow 10 shows the position of the vertical projection of the flight track on the surface of the range being flown over, and the somewhat broader band 11 indicates the section which comes into the field of vision of the reconnaissance camera 2 thereafter if the direction of flight is maintained. The dash-dotted line 12 shows the line which lies in the field of vision of the tele-camera 3 at its current position, provided the direction of flight is maintained. Furthermore, the desired route from the flight schedule is shown on the screen as a line 13.
In order to provide a complete documentation on the parameters of a section of interest of a range, this partial section is covered in a first picture-taking flight from at least two different image taking directions, transversely of the direction of flight. This can be done by arranging a plurality of reconnaissance respectively tele-cameras in inclined fashion transversely of the direction of flight mn Ffi sheul i sow o te crenasa in 1L u -14diagonally downwardly and diagonally forwardly respectively diagonally backwardly relative to the direction of flight.
To facilitate the reconnoitering of details of structures of interest, a second picture-taking low altitude flight close to the ground is performed which makes it possible to take photographs having imaging scales of I ]600 and larger. It has turned out that with the help of such photographs where comparatively low-price black-and-white films are used such fine structures can be evaluated on the pictures with the naked eye that even certain types of grasses can be discerned.
Evaluation of the image material provided in this way has been briefly explained initially. Fig. 3 shows as result of such evaluation the visual representation of such parameters in a section of a range. In field 20 on the screen one recognizes the perspective image of a section of a range that has been produced by a computer with the aid of a topographic map. When evaluating the aerial photographs obtained according to the invention structures of interest first were analyzed with respect to their coordinates and subsequently evaluated. In field 20 the symbol 21, which represents a tree, indicates that in this location of the range the aerial photographs show a tree of interest whose parameters of interest are shown in field 30 on the screen; there, for instance, the tree species is listed; the trunk diameter; the length of the tree; any indication of a disease as well as the condition of the soil in the more immediate environment of the tree. Furthermore, a sectional reproduction of an aerial photograph 31 is intended which has been digitalized on evaluation and is now stored in the computer.
To the coordinates X, Y, Z in the range further structures may be assigned which may be stored and selectively ‘f retrieved instead of the parameters shown. These may be, for ft 2 /7- L -i d r_ esui- or its depencency on tne wneatner.
This is diametrically opposed to the acute need for information in this specific field.
Although the use of infrared and infrared false colour films I i i instance, meteorological data, geological data or the like.
In another embodiment of the invention the photographic aircraft is fitted with measuring instruments for detecting the magnetic field of the ground at specific points. The measurements obtained from these instruments are used in accordance with devomagnetic techniques to produce maps of the magnetic field of the ground over which the photographic aircraft was flown.
As concerns rendering the evaluated data visible a great many variations to the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig.
3 are possible. What is essential solely is the selectively retrievable assignment of various parameter groups which are assigned to a coordinate of a structure in the range.
The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.
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Claims (14)

1. A method for the large-scale mapping of parameters of multi-dimensional structures in natural environments, wherein stereo-photographs are made in the natural Senvironment using a wide-angle reconnaissance camera during picture-taking flights, characterized in that the natural environment or range to be mapped or sections thereof are detected during picture-taking flights at a flight altitude between 150 and 500 m above ground by means of a wide-angle reconnaissance camera adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the flight axis in combination with a tele- reconnaissance camera adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the flight axis for making detailed images from a series of aerial *i surveying pictures taken in the range section covered by the wide-angle reconnaissance camera, the position of the S aerial surveying pictures is determined, for instance, in 20 a Gaup-KrUger net by means of orienting aids using aerophotogrammatic techniques, the coordinates of the structures of interest are subjected to large-scale surveying, from the series aerial surveying pictures and in particular from the detailed images the parameter data 25 of these structures are determined and are stored for the mapping of these parameters in a form so as to be assigned to said coordinates and to be selectively interrogable.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the orienting aids consist of radio position determinations during the picture-taking flight which are triggered when exposure of the film in the tele- reconnaissance camera occurs.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that Sthe series of aerial surveying pictures are taken from vertically downwardly directed series surveying cameras 920108,gjndatO4S,29242.res,16 -17- using an imaging scale of 1:1600 and larger, and in that said series surveying camera are triggered when film in the wide-angle reconnaissance camera and the tele- reconnaissance camera is exposed, respectively, and optionally of a video camera, and with a picture-taking flight analyzer. I

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tele-reconnaissance camera is guided either automatically in accordance with a flight schedule using computer control, or free-handed by an operator.

A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during further picture- taking flights at flight altitudes of about 50 m above ground and at imaging scales of 1:500 and less surveying picture orientation series are taken by means of a reconnaissance camera, and individual structures are 20 photographed from several directions from below and from the side.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to characterized in that the photographic pictures are taken with black-and-white films.

7. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that a black-and-white film having an increased infrared sensitivity or an increased sensitivity for blue is used. 4 t

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, in time-fixed correlation, pictures of sections of the range are taken by means of the reconnaissance cameras in a vertically downwardly and obliquely downwardly inclined fashion, and substantially transversely of the direction of flight. Z

9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, C920108.gjndaL048,29242,res, 17 I r 92(11 0,gjndaJ.0O48.,29 2 4 2 .res. 7 I€ 18 characterized in that control of the flight track (FT) of the picture-taking flights and/or of orientation of the reconnaissance cameras to a predetermined section of the range is effected via a video camera oriented in the direction of flight said video camera having a display screen on which the vertical projection of the flight track, which is extended in the direction of flight, and orienting lines indicating the orientation of the reconnaissance cameras are overlapping the video picture taken.

A photographic aircraft, in particular for effecting aerial photographs according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one series surveying camera directed vertically downwardly, characterized by a wide-angle reconnaissance chamber adapted to be inclined diagonally downwardly at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and by a tele- reconnaissance camera adapted to be inclined diagonally 20 downwardly at different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft for making detailed images of the range section covered by the wide-angle reconnaissance camera, and by a video camera oriented in longitudinal direction of the aircraft, into the display screen of which the flight track and the orientation of the reconnaissance camera projected in the direction of flight may be displayed, with the location at which triggering of the reconnaissance cameras occurs being cmarked. i

11. A photographic aircraft according to claim 10, characterized in that the image sequence frequency of the surveying cameras and the camera adjustments thereof are controllable via a distance meter oriented in the picture-taking direction of the cameras, coupled with the flying speed. Iv

12. A photographic aircraft according to claim S 920108,gjnd n L0O429242.res18 l” images ofternescincvee ytewd-nl growing the expert, in turn, can draw conclusions as to the soil condition and humidity. On the other hand, the projective influences on the photographs increase, leading to distortions. These distor- RAu LVl. <-41 -19- characterized by radar distance meters for determining the object width of reconnaissance cameras and flight altitude above ground, respectively. 13. A photographic aircraft according to one claims 12, in that measuring instruments detecting magnetic field are provided addition c--neras mapping fields on ground accordance with techniques used aeromagnetics. 14. method large-scale parameter substantially as hereinbefore described reference accompanying drawings. o r V I -r 'rD this 8th day January, 1992 He±xo Schmidt v. Braun 30 By Its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE 920 1(19,pndit.049,29242,res, 19 1"--L AU29242>Download PDF in English