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Combination of satellite-derived raster and vector data for 3D City modeling (URMO3D)

Research project OR/02/002 (Research action OR)

Persons :

Description :

Objectives

Very high resolution (VHR) stereoscopic images have become more and more available. Next to the thematic capabilities of those sensors, there is also the possibility of generating surface models from stereoscopic images. The spatial resolution of 1m or better allow to
generate 3D urban surface models in an automatic or interactive way. Those 3D surface models can be used as well for the visualization of an urban landscape as for the spatial analysis in 3D dimensions of such areas.

This project aims the integration of a raster surface model, with its area covering character, and 3D vector information of the built-up area, a hybrid 3D city model can be generated from one data source, being a VHR stereo pair. As archives of VHR images will grow larger in time,
the necessity will grow to use those archives in multitemporal analysis, also in three dimensions.
The goal of the presented research is to develop a 3D city model from VHR stereoscopic data and to test this model in its visualisation and analytical capabilities. The first phase of the project consists of the development of a method to derive such hybrid city models from VHR
data. In the second phase applications will be developed for this model, on a rapidly changing urban environment.

The main objectives of the proposed project are :
1. To develop a method for the extraction of 3D information, in a hybrid way, of an urban landscape from very high resolution data .
2. To test the analytical capabilities of the developed 3D city model by means of an application of a rapidly changing urban environment.


Methodology

The general idea of the project is to use VHR stereo couples to make a 3D representation of an urban study area. A digital surface model will be created in raster format for the whole study area, a 3D vector database will be made containing all the buildings in the study area.
Those two sources of height information are then integrated into one 3D city model, of which the visualization and analytical powers are tested. Two 3D models will be created from separate stereo pairs of the same area, but from a different moment, in order to detect urban changes.


Study area

Ghent, Cairo


Data

IKONOS

Documentation :