Analysis of Different Methods for 3D Reconstruction of Natural Surfaces from Parallel‐Axes <scp>UAV</scp> Images

Abstract Recent advances in structure from motion (SfM) and dense matching algorithms enable surface reconstruction from unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ) images with high spatial resolution, allowing for new insights into earth surface processes. However, accuracy issues are inherent in parallel‐axes UAV image configurations. In this study, the quality of digital elevation models ( DEM s) is assessed using images from a simulated UAV flight. Five different SfM tools and three different cameras are compared. If ground control points ( GCP s) are not integrated into the adjustment process with parallel‐axes image configurations, significant dome‐effect systematic errors are observed, which can be reduced based on calibration parameters retrieved from a testfield captured with convergent images immediately before or after the UAV flight. A comparison between DEM s of a soil surface generated from UAV images and terrestrial laser‐scanning data show that natural surfaces can be very accurately reconstructed from UAV images, even when GCP s are missing and simple geometric camera models are considered.