Digital Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry derives from the Greek words meaning “to measure with light,” with the light being sunlight reflected from the ground and vegetation and captured by a camera. The colours in the photographs can be associated with each point in the 3D point clouds generated through digital photogrammetry, providing additional information about the objects depicted in the images.

At the Forest Remote Sensing Division, we work with both aerial imagery and ground-based photogrammetry. 3D data from aerial images are analysed, together with field data, to estimate forest variables such as stand height, volume, and species distribution. Ground-based photogrammetry is also being tested as a tool for measuring tree trunks during field inventories.