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Light plane field observation supporting Remote Sensing data for archaeology purpose


Work in the field and Results
The City of Chonburi, the eastern coastal province of Thailand was selected to be the study area because there are many reasons such as its location of Ultralight plane company, CMT, its variety of land cover etc. With a contrast altitude and horizontal flight, almost images recorded by RDC-7 color camera is near vertical images excluding images during the plane take-off, landing, and turning. (See Figure) The image recorded above the city is very clear with 0.5-m ground resolution or less. (See Figure 4) Each image has 640-pixel by 480-pixel size in form of jpeg.

Figure 4 the images of Chonburi city


Unfortunately, the system testing time is in August, the rainy season period although the day for the system experiment is clear and opened sky, however, the thin haze is in sky during system test flight. Therefore the haze exists in some images. Those image with haze are record always above the vegetation area because that are is very humid specially on the system-test day (See Figure 5)

Figure 5 noised and non-noised images above the same area during the test flight

Conclusion
The new way to improve the weak point of the satellite image has been developed with a lower cost but more detailed image as well as time-selected record for the important mission such as the visualization and animation of cultural heritage. It is the sensor mounted with light plane. In the terms of the image processing for the visualization and animation, the image is sufficient qualified for the further processing with the standard resolution and size. Moreover, this observation is the starting point to design and develop the new, challenge, cheap field surveying from the sky such as the sensor integration (GPS and a digital CCD camera) mounted with balloon or the RF video on the light plane for field observation etc.

Recommendation and Further Research
This experiment can distribute the near-vertical images with the digital form but there are some problem to modify and research further:
  • Twin cameras should be applied to record the overlap images for easy 3d processing.

  • GPS should be integrated with the system to avoid the ground control point building in the fields.

  • The flight of the aerial photo should be restricted rigidly to obtain the near vertical images and a block of the digital aerial photo.

  • Due to distribute the qualified images, the system should be tested in the Cultural Heritage area such as Ayuttaya, the world heritage etc.

  • The images should be processed in the next step for a 3d visualization or 3d ancient-city model
Moreover, in AIT, STAR program by the students of Space Technology course attempt to develop the other new field observation. That method is the sensor, a CCD digital camera mounted with balloon platform. The expected result is suggested to show at the poster session in this conference. (See figure 6)


Figure 6 the digital CCD camera mounted on a balloon platform


Acknowledgement
Special thanks for CMT to distribute the Ultralight Plane for this experiment.

Reference
  • M. Kusanagi March 2000, "Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System Training Delivery System" RESAP Remote Sensing Specialist Meeting, UN- ESCAP, Bangkok.

  • M. Dufo Kusanagi, Oct. 1999, "Feasibility Study of Space Development Project for South-East Asian Countries; Mobile Multi-mission Compact Ground Systems" (in Japanese), Space Science and Technology Federation Meeting, Kobe.

  • Kaew Nualchawee, , Dec.1997, "Space Technology Applications and research: What's in the STAR", Asia-Pacific Conference on Multilateral Cooperation in Space Technology and Application, Univ. of Bahrain.

  • S. Murai, L. Samarakoon and K. Honda, Nov. 1998, "Activities of Education, Training and Research at Asian Institute of Technology" Asian Conference on Remote Sensing, Manila.
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