INTRODUCTION TO

PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND AIR

SURVEY
BY
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR NASRUL HAQ.
 PHOTOGRAMMETRY
photo = "picture“, grammetry = "measurement“,
therefore photogrammetry = “photo-measurement”

Photogrammetry is the science or art or technology of

obtaining reliable measurements by means of photographs.

Formal Definition:
Photogrammetry is the art, science and technology of obtaining reliable
information about physical objects and the environment, through
processes of recording, measuring, and interpreting photographic
images and patterns of recorded radiant electromagnetic energy and
other phenomena.
- As given by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
(ASPRS)

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 TECHNIQUES
a. Arial
using photographs taken from the air or from
space with the camera usually pointing
vertically downwards
 TECHNIQUES
b. Terrestrial
using photographs taken on the ground with
the camera usually pointing in a horizontal
direction
 TECHNIQUES
c. Industrial & Scientific
an adaptation of terrestrial techniques to
small distances, the camera set at any suitable
angle
 AIR SURVEY
The term air survey is used to describe survey
techniques using photographs taken from the
air or from the space
 Aerial Mapping Camera

Aerial mapping cameras

are the traditional
imaging devices used in
traditional
photogrammetry.

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 Types of photographs
Aerial Terrestrial (taken with
ground based cameras)

Oblique

Vertical
Low oblique
(does not include horizon)

High oblique
(includes horizon)

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 Of all these type of photographs,
vertical and low oblique aerial
photographs are of most interest to us
as they are the ones most extensively
used for mapping purposes…

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 FLIGHT STRIPS
Vertical aerial photographs are taken along parallel passes called flight strips.
Successive photographs along a flight strip overlap is called end lap – 60%
(Range between 55% and 65%)
Area of common coverage called stereoscopic overlap area.

Overlapping photos
called a stereopair.

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 BLOCK OF PHOTOS.
Position of camera at each exposure is called the exposure station.
Altitude of the camera at exposure time is called the flying height.
Lateral overlapping of adjacent flight strips is called a side lap (usually
30%).
Photographs of 2 or more sidelapping strips used to cover an area is
referred to as a block of photos.

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A STEREO PAIR OF AERIL
PHOTOGRAPHS
A STEREO PAIR OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS IN A STEREO
PLOTTER PLOTTER
THE 3D MODEL OF TERRAIN AS SEEN IN A
STEREO PLOTTER
 REQUIREMENT OF GROUND CONTROL
• IN ORDER TO TRACE A MAP FROM THE 3D MODEL ,THE MODE
ITSELF HAS TO BE MADE TO THE REQUIRED SCALE SO THAT
THE MAP TRACED FROM IT SHOULD CONFORM TO THE
REQUIRED MAP SCALE AND GRID.
• HENCE GROUND CONTROL POINTS ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE
AREA SUCH THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST FIVE CONTROL POINTS
IN AREA OF EACH MODEL .IN PHOTOGRAMMETRY THESE ARE
CALLED PHOTO CONTROL POINTS.
• THUS A SCALED MODEL IS CREATED IN THE STREO PLOTTER BY
USING PHOTO CONROL POINTS BEFORE STARTING THE
MAPPING PROCESS.
• PHOTO CONTROL POINTS CAN BE ESTABLISHED BY FIELD
SURVEY OR BY AEROTRIANGULATION.
 GROUND CONTROL
FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY
Ground control consists of any points
• whose positions are known in an object-space (ground
based) coordinate system and
• whose images can be positively identified in the
photographs.

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 GROUND CONTROL
FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY
Classification of photogrammetric control:

1. Horizontal control: the position of the point in object

space is known w.r.t a horizontal datum
2. Vertical control: the elevation of the point is known w.r.t a
vertical datum

Images of acceptable photo control points must satisfy two

requirements:
1. They must be sharp, well defined and positively identified
on all photos, and
2. They must lie in favorable locations in the photographs
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 PHOTO CONTROL POINTS
The methods used for establishing ground control are:

1. Traditional land surveying techniques

2. Using Global Positioning System (GPS)

While GPS is most often used to compute horizontal

position, it is capable of determining vertical position
(elevation) to nearly the same level of accuracy.
Static GPS can be used to determine coordinates of
unknown points with errors at the centimeter level.

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 PHOTO CONTROL POINTS
The Number of ground-surveyed photo control needed
varies with
1. size, shape and nature of area,
2. accuracy required, and
3. procedures, instruments, and personnel to be used.

In general, more dense the ground control, the better

the accuracy in the supplemental control
determined by aerotriangulation.

There is an optimum number, which affords maximum

economic benefit and maintains a satisfactory standard
of accuracy.

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 AEROTRIANGULATION
• It is the process of determining the X, Y, and Z ground coordinates
of individual points based on photo coordinate measurements.
• Consists of photo measurement followed by numerical
interior, relative, and absolute orientation from which ground
coordinates are computed.
• For large projects, the number of control points needed is extensive
• Cost can be extremely high
• Much of this needed control can be established by
aerotriangulation for only a sparse network of field surveyed ground
control.
• Using GPS in the aircraft to provide coordinates of the camera
eliminates the need for ground control entirely
• In practice a small amount of ground control is still used to
strengthen the solution.
7
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STEREO PLOTTER
STEREO PLOTTER
STEREO PLOTTER
STEREO PLOTTER
STEREO PLOTTER
STEREO PLOTTER
STEREO PLOTTER
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
a. Topographical Mapping
– The plotting of map detail and contours is normally
carried out using aerial photogrammetric methods
– These methods are used for both original survey and
revision, and replace classical ground methods
except where the task is so small that flying is
uneconomical
– The technique needs a certain amount of ground
surveyed control, but this requirement is being
continually reduced with the improvement of aerial
triangulation techniques to provide supplementary
control.
– A final Field check is necessary
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
b. Large Scale Plans
– Large scale surveys can be produced accurately and
quickly by air survey methods, but require more field
checking in addition to the provision of ground
control
– For large tasks, such as road building and major
constructions, air survey methods are quicker and
cheaper than ground methods
– Profiles for determination of earthwork quantities
and other data useful to Civil Engineer may be simply
obtained from the same photographs
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
c. Cadastral Plans
– Similar advantages may be gained by an air survey for
cadastral purpose as are provided in the production of
large scale plans.
– As the accuracy of the cadastral plan is related to the
value of land, the traditional ground method trends to
be slower, costly but very accurate
– In most cases, the accuracy of a well planned air
survey is sufficient for cadastral purposes, and this
method is used in many countries
– Where boundaries are related to described features,
or land is very valuable, the additional accuracy of
ground survey may be necessary
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
d. Land use maps
– Air survey techniques may be used not only to
define the extent of an area, but also to identify
its use and measure the yield of a crop
– Forestry is a typical application where, by plotting
the limits of timber and measuring tree heights,
an accurate estimate of yield may be given.
– The use of special films, such as color and infra-
red will provide additional information about the
quality of the crop
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
e. Hydrographic Maps and Charts
– Air survey techniques are particularly valuable in
the accurate plotting of coastlines, sandbanks and
small islands where the changing tide is a problem
for ground methods
– The use of special film will again add more
information, either by clearly delineating water
limits or by extra penetration in shallow water
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
f. Exploration and Reconnaissance
– Information may be gained about areas to which
access is restricted by employing air survey techniques
– In the case of military reconnaissance, a high flying or
unmanned aircraft can obtain photograph that will
provide data for an accurate survey
– For explorers, and area can be mapped before the first
entry, either from photographs obtained by aircraft as
in the case of Moon or Mars, or by specially equiped
satellites
 SURVEY APPLICATIONS OF
PHOTOGRAMMETRY
g. Terrestrial, Industrial and Scientific Uses
– Photogrammetry has provided rapid, accurate and
in some cases unique solutions to many non
topographical problems.
– The following are of particular interest
1. Detailed Survey of Historic Buildings
– Precise plans of building facades and
architectural detail may be obtained without
direct measurement by terrestrial
photogrammetric techniques
 TERRESTRIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND
SCIENTIFIC USES
2. Traffic Accidents
– Terrestrial methods are also used to record details
of accidents in some countries
– This allows obstructions to be cleared without
delay, the scene being plotted at a later stage
3. Medical Applications
– Short range photogrammetry is in use by doctors
and dentists to define conditions requiring
treatment and also to study the results of
treatment
 TERRESTRIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND
SCIENTIFIC USES
4. Analysis of movement
– Tidal and Particle movement may be analyzed by
photogrammetric methods by taking photographs
of the moving surface with a fixed camera
– The stereo model obtained shows vertical “relief”
proportional to the amount of movement
“contours” may be plotted