An integrated photogrammetric and photoclinometric approach for pixel-resolution 3D modelling of lunar surface

Wai Chung Liu, Bo Wu

Research output: Journal article publicationConference articleAcademic researchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

High-resolution 3D modelling of lunar surface is important for lunar scientific research and exploration missions. Photogrammetry is known for 3D mapping and modelling from a pair of stereo images based on dense image matching. However dense matching may fail in poorly textured areas and in situations when the image pair has large illumination differences. As a result, the actual achievable spatial resolution of the 3D model from photogrammetry is limited by the performance of dense image matching. On the other hand, photoclinometry (i.e., shape from shading) is characterised by its ability to recover pixel-wise surface shapes based on image intensity and imaging conditions such as illumination and viewing directions. More robust shape reconstruction through photoclinometry can be achieved by incorporating images acquired under different illumination conditions (i.e., photometric stereo). Introducing photoclinometry into photogrammetric processing can therefore effectively increase the achievable resolution of the mapping result while maintaining its overall accuracy. This research presents an integrated photogrammetric and photoclinometric approach for pixel-resolution 3D modelling of the lunar surface. First, photoclinometry is interacted with stereo image matching to create robust and spatially well distributed dense conjugate points. Then, based on the 3D point cloud derived from photogrammetric processing of the dense conjugate points, photoclinometry is further introduced to derive the 3D positions of the unmatched points and to refine the final point cloud. The approach is able to produce one 3D point for each image pixel within the overlapping area of the stereo pair so that to obtain pixel-resolution 3D models. Experiments using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera - Narrow Angle Camera (LROC NAC) images show the superior performances of the approach compared with traditional photogrammetric technique. The results and findings from this research contribute to optimal exploitation of image information for high-resolution 3D modelling of the lunar surface, which is of significance for the advancement of lunar and planetary mapping.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1117-1122
Number of pages6
JournalInternational Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences - ISPRS Archives
Volume42
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Apr 2018
Event2018 ISPRS TC III Mid-Term Symposium on Developments, Technologies and Applications in Remote Sensing - Beijing, China
Duration: 7 May 201810 May 2018

Keywords

  • 3D modelling
  • Image matching
  • Moon
  • Photoclinometry
  • Photogrammetry
  • Shape from shading

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Information Systems
  • Geography, Planning and Development

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