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Forensic Photogrammetry

 

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Forensic Photogrammetry at CAST

Historic aerial photography is one of the most valuable and budget friendly resources of spatial data available today. Due to rapid cultural and environmental changes to the landscape, these photographs can often capture information that is never to be seen again. For archaeologist, these photos can provide a needed glimpse into the past to help answer a question, fill in missing information, or help identify modern features from the recent past. For Geographic Information System (GIS) users, they can provide past information for an endless number of topographic and plainimetric measurements. 

One of the biggest challenges, when working with historic data, is knowing what you're working with. Often, metadata such as calibration reports are no longer found with the photos. Information about the camera (i.e. focal length, fiducial marks, principal point location) and lens have been lost. This type of situation calls for forensic photogrammetry, where any available information is used to fill in the gaps. A recent research project at CAST involved the photogrammetric processing of historic aerial photography at Tiwanaku, Bolivia where no information was known about the camera or lens. The shape and locations of the fiducial marks, along with some other tested assumptions, were used to complete the processing with impressive results. See other ways CAST uses photogrammetry. 

Forensic photogrammetry, CAST, Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies, University of Arkansas, Tiwinaku