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3D Photogrammetry Sees Increased Use in Unique Fields
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3D Photogrammetry Lens
Photogrammetry is not a new technology although its usages have become more mainstream and are incorporating more 3D technologies; it has been in practice since the mid-nineteenth century. At its most basic format, it can be described as the “measurement of the distance between two points that lie on a plane parallel to the photographic image plane, if the scale of the image is known.” Photogrammetry, the practice of “determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images” and this technology is being called into practice in myriad fields.
The definition of photogrammetry, as put forth by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 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.”
3D photogrammetry is being used in fields as varied as quality control, police crime scene reproductions/recreations, engineering, architecture, topographic mapping and by archaeologists that are working to produce plans of complex sites. Meteorologists can also use the technology to determine the wind speeds of tornadoes. The technology combines live action and computer generated imagery for use in movies and can also be seen in television commercials in which automobiles are making their way down the road in scenery that appears too good to be realistic.
The field of collision engineering is seeing an increase in the use of 3D photogrammetry as a way to determine the cause of an accident based on the exact deformity present in the vehicles involved. Researchers can use photogrammetry to determine the extent of the damage to the vehicle in question through the use of crime scene photos. The photogrammetry technology can transform the two-dimensional image into a 3D image and this provides crime scene analysts with further information, which could be crucial to reconstructing a vehicle crash.
The information can be uploaded into specialized computer programs that can manipulate the information and allow for the 3D images to better represent the impact of the vehicle crash. The Minnesota State Patrol, as an example, has used this technology as a way to more quickly map accident scenes. The information has been used to establish a forensic mapping program as a way to more quickly clear accident scenes and make determinations on fault.
When aerial photography is incorporated into the other technologies, it’s possible to create digital terrain models and this is useful when taking old topographic satellite and aerial photographs and developing elevation models. As with many technologies, 3D photogrammetry will likely become more mainstream as its uses are more fully explored. Universe Optics offers consultation on custom lens design or may have customized lenses suitable for 3D photogrammetry technologies.