Mapping Riverine Scenes
River Transects with the USGS
100 m
In October of 2018, ASTRALiTe demonstrated the LiDAR's ability to capture bathymetric data in conjunction with the USGS. The test was performed at the confluence of the Colorado and Blue Rivers in Kremmling, Colorado. Through this test, the Topo-Bathy LiDAR system demonstrated its ability to produce depth profiles, vegetation mapping, object detection, and the mapping of river transects.
The images above were collected at the test site and show data from the project. The top image is a satellite image of the confluence with the data that was captured from a flight over the Blue River. The LiDAR system was able to record depths from 0.0-0.6 meters, identifying vegetation and other debris along the water surface throughout the 700m flight.
Comparing a segment of the data with an image captured from the UAV's field of view, the vegetation can be clearly seen in the data, validating the vegetation mapping application.
The image to the right shows the environment in which the test was conducted, as well as operating conditions for the system. The flight was conducted at a high-altitude with a 5kg payload and performed with no difficulty. The kayaker is performing joint-sonar studies that we are using to ground-truth the data.
Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.
