Presentation by Aldo Facchin from Geosoft on Esri European User Conference 2011.

1. Combining 3D Imagery and Lidar
with ArcGIS in aerial and mobile
applications
Aldo Facchin – Geosoft Srl (Italy)
www.geosoft.it

2. Geosoft Srl - Italy
Who we are ?
An italian company focused on software products for …
• Map production
• 3D photogrammetry
• LiDAR
• Mobile Imaging & Laser Scanning (from vehicle)
Founded in 1992
Main markets (last 3 years) :
• 70-85 % Map, Survey and Engineering industry
• 15-30 % Public Administration, University and Research

3. Geosoft Srl - Italy
Our offer…
A family of ArcGIS Desktop stereoscopic extensions for :
Aerial photogrammetry and lidar (with a patented method)
Terrestrial Laser Scanning
Mobile Laser Scanning

4. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
ArcGDS Stereo + LiDAR extension

5. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
Geodatabase updating using orthophotos :
Well known datatype
Large diffusion
Poor photointerpretation
Difficult to collect XY position
Impossible to collect HEIGHT / Z values
Your world is flat
We need a 3D system

6. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
GIS is a “decision support system”
Which kind of decisions you can take if your
data aren’t enough accurate ?
Please take care about accuracy...

7. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
If the ortophoto exists, also the
overlapped images exist...
“Imagery” is the cheapest dataset
already ready for 3D
3D Imagery
is part of the “photogrammetry”
workflows and products
LiDAR
is the emerging technology
naturally “born for 3D “

8. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
Photogrammetry (3D imagery) alone is
not enough…
Optimal photointerpretation (image data
is continuous)
Use of RGB, CIR images with 8+ bit per
channel
Already experienced operators, well
known procedures and system
New digital cameras have bad B/H ratio
so Z quality is poor
Data quality is not constant (Z in
particular) because depends on the
operator (stereoscopic perception)
Image correlation often have problems
exactly where we need (for ex. roof
edges)

9. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
LiDAR alone is not enough…
Optimal precision (especially Z) respect
to the photogrammetry at the same flight
height
Possibility to classify the points cloud
Data quality is constant (Z in particular)
because does not depend on the
operator (snap)
Data have low costs and short
acquisition times
Interpretation is very poor because the
data are discrete
Point density impacts a lot on cost
The points don’t have directly the color
of the objects
XY precision is poorer than Z

10. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
The solution :

11. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
The solution :
The operator move the cursor
observing the imagery stereo scene
The software update the cursor
height according with the point cloud,
using different alghoritms
Stereo imagery are used for XY and
photointerpretation
LiDAR point clouds are used for updating collimation mark
height (Z)
The point cloud is better than using DSM or other
resampled products
The operator has only the “check” the collimation
mark height (Z), not directly and carefully position it !

12. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
We requested to register a patent
for the industrial process of
producing maps using 3D
imagery and lidar...
The European Patent Office
approved it !!!
The patent will be extended in
Europe, USA, Canada, Brasil,
India, etc.

13. Live demo
ArcGDS Stereo + LiDAR extension

14. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
Characteristics of ArcGDS LiDAR method (patent pending)
It’s a tool for the production of high quality 3D geodatabases.
Photointerpretation is available (photos, 3D...not orthophoto)
LiDAR acquisition allow much better Z precisions than photo-
mapping or orthophoto digitalization
Mapping (for ex. streets or buildings) is coherent with LiDAR
Operator checks Z during mapping and eventually changes it
manually
Is for everybody because not require a high photogrammetric
experience
Snap uses cloud classification
Transversal profile view helps operator for a better interpretation

15. Aerial Stereo Imagery and Lidar
3D Imagery and Lidar are better if combined
Key concepts :
Stereoscopy is available for all the users at low cost, inside ArcMap, for
images and point clouds
The time of proprietary CAD platform for maps data capture is over !
Combine stereo images and LiDAR point clouds to obtain the best
accuracy and efficiency
It’s the ideal tool for QC/QA after automatic feature extraction
phase
Can be bundled with raw data (images & point cloud) by data
providers
With this (patented) method…
• medium format cameras can be used
• low density point clouds can be used

16. Mobile Laser Scanning and Imagery
ArcGDS for MLS

17. Mobile Laser Scanning
Use video to quickly navigate and 3D stereoscopic vision accurate data
collection
Now…
The current trend on MLS is to do all the work
using laser scanner(s) point cloud
The camera(s) are only for give color to point
cloud
Do you think to handle a mobile laser scanning
road network project with a CAD ?

18. Mobile Laser Scanning
Use video to quickly navigate and 3D stereoscopic vision accurate data
collection
With the “Point cloud only” approach you need high
density point cloud…
More scanners
Lower speed in mission
Huge files to manage
Impact on :
system cost
mission productivity
post processing productivity

19. Mobile Laser Scanning
Use video to quickly navigate and 3D stereoscopic vision accurate data
collection
Our idea…
Try to use camera image sequences (video) to
quickly navigate…
Use the point cloud only for the 3D precise
measure task
Use the images to recognize the objects you
have to collect
Use 3D glasses to save time

20. Mobile Laser Scanning
Use 3D glasses to save time, use images and point clouds as they are
The interface :

21. Mobile Laser Scanning
Use 3D glasses to save time, use images and point clouds as they are
The solution :
You can open the video
window and the 3D laser
window from any point in the
ArcMap dataframe
You can use normal ArcMap
tools pointing in the video
window or on the 3D laser
window
The 3D laser window can be
viewed stereoscopically
using 3D glasses
With 3D glasses you see
immediately if are picking More productivity, less mistakes
productivity,
the right point

22. Conclusion
Images don’t replace point clouds and vice-versa
Use the best of each data type
Combine them
GIS is necessary for a good data collection
• for data consistency
• for multiuser handling
• for versioning
• for integration with other sources (ex. ArcGIS
Online)
• etc.
There are no more advantages on using CAD for
3D

23. Thank you !
Gracias!
Grazie !
aldo.facchin@geosoft.it
For further information,
please visit Geosoft at booth # 6.