Mapping and Analytics Using UAS

NCSU GIS/MEA 584

Course description

The course starts with a brief overview of the UAS mapping technology and its rules and regulations. The principles of UAS data collection are explained along with hands-on practice in flight planning and execution. The main focus of this course is on processing the collected imagery using structure from motion technique and deriving orthophoto mosaics and ultra-high resolution digital elevation models of land surface, vegetation and structures. More advanced topics include multitemporal 3D data analysis, fusion with lidar data and 3D visualization with applications in natural resources.

Instructor

Dr. Corey T. White

Office hours: by appointment Email: ctwhite@ncsu.edu

Prerequisites

None, but GIS/MEA582 and/or GIS540 or equivalent courses are highly recommended.

Educational Approach

This course will consist of: lectures, readings, hands-on exercises, homework assignments, and a major project. All the work will be collected within an electronic portfolio that will systematically include the work that you will do for this and other GIS courses. Extra credits will be given for innovative solutions, creativity in problem solving and extensions to given tasks.

Class materials and schedule

See instructions in Course logistics and schedule

Moodle

Course Forum, assignment submissions, project material, and grades are handled in Moodle.

Textbooks

No required textbook, on-line material is used.

Recommended books:

• Amy Frazier, Kunwar Singh, 2021, Fundamentals of Capturing and Processing Drone Imagery and Data, CRC Press.

• Jonathan L. Carrivick, Mark W. Smith, and Duncan J. Quincey, 2016, Structure from Motion in the Geosciences, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

• Paul Gerin Fahlstrom, Thomas James Gleason, 2012, Introduction to UAV Systems: Fourth Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

• Douglas M. Marshall, R. Kurt Barnhart, Eric Shappee, Michael Most, 2016, Introduction to unmanned aircraft systems: Second Edition, CRC Press

Software

See Course logistics web page.

Grading policy

60% homeworks, 40% project 100% is the maximum number of points (total+extra credits) achieved in class. Points are taken off for late submissions.

Grade	Course and each HW
Max	100
A+	97
A	93
A-	90
B+	87
B	83
B-	80
C+	77
C	73

Topics

• Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Rules and regulations for UAS operations
• From images to 3D models: Photogrammetry and Structure from Motion concepts
• UAS flight planning
• Imagery processing and structure from motion (SfM)
• Accuracy of UAS-derived DSM and orthophoto
• UAS and lidar data: comparison and fusion
• Analysis of ultra high resolution elevation models
• Analysis of multitemporal UAS data and its applications

Academic integrity

Overview, Policies, Code of Student Conduct

Attendance policy

in regular section, attendance is checked at each class, see also attendance regulations and university definitions of excused absences

Accommodation of students with disabilities

Disability Services Office

Large Language Model (LLM) policy

The use of LLMs in this course is permitted for the purposes of completing assignments and projects. However, the use of LLMs for the purposes of completing exams is strictly prohibited. Students are also required to cite the use of LLMs in their assignments and projects. Failure to do so will result in a violation of the courses academic integrity policy. Students are also to be aware that the use of LLMs in this course is not a substitute for learning the material. Assignments and projects must be properly cited and contain no plagerized materials. (The policy was created with the aid GitHub CoPilot)