3D Mine Mapping of Slope Faces using Structure from Motion Photogrammetry.
The Project outlines a revolutionary, low-cost, user-friendly photogrammetric technique for obtaining high-resolution datasets at a range of scales, termed ‘Structure-from-Motion’ (SfM). Traditional softcopy photogrammetric methods require the 3-D location and pose of the camera(s), or the 3-D location of ground control points to be known in order to facilitate scene triangulation and reconstruction. In contrast, the SfM method solves the camera pose and scene geometry simultaneously and automatically, using a highly redundant bundle adjustment method based on feature matching in multiple overlapping images. A comprehensive introduction to the technique is presented, followed by an outline of the methods used to create high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from extensive photosets obtained using a consumer-grade digital camera (Sony DSLR A900). Example applications of SfM are presented for five slopes across a range of scales in Kardia Open pit mining located near Ptolemaida in Western Macedonia - Greece.
