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Fusion of Laser Ranging Data and Imagery for Generation of 3D Virtual Models |
Principal Investigator |
Khalil Al-Manasir |
Project Description |
The creation of image texture-mapped, three-dimensional (3D) digital models of object scenes is, in many applications, very important. Digital imagery and laser scanners are two types of spatial information sources, which can be used to reconstruct a texture-mapped digital model of object scenes.
In this Ph.D thesis project, the development of new procedures for generating object models of higher accuracy and finer detail, through a fusion of photogrammetric imagery and laser scanner data, forms the main objective of the proposed project. Such an outcome will considerably expand the potential for metric application of 3D computer models in engineering and industrial manufacturing.
Shown in Fig. 1 is a representation of 3D digital modelling
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Decision-making under spatial uncertainty |
Principal Investigator |
Sue Hope |
Project Description |
There is growing recognition that the uncertainty associated with spatial information should be represented to users in a comprehensive and unambiguous way. However, the effects on decision-making of such representations have not been thoroughly investigated. Studies from the psychological literature indicate decision-making biases when information is uncertain. This study explores the effects of representing spatial uncertainty, through an examination of how decision-making may be affected by the introduction of thematic uncertainty and an investigation of the effects of different representations of positional uncertainty on decision-making. |
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Virtual Environments and Autonomous Agents for Urban Park and Garden Management |
Principal Investigator |
Daneil Loiterton |
Project Description |
Using autonomous agent-based modelling techniques, we are attempting to simulate the behaviour of visitors to the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) in Melbourne, Australia. These agents will not only react to the aesthetics of the landscape, but also to sounds, other visitors, and internal influences such as feelings of boredom, tiredness, hunger, and the desire to visit specific areas of interest. A virtual model of the RBG will allow us to investigate the path choices of human subjects at specific intersections with controlled visual and aural features. We are also using hand-held PDA devices coupled with Bluetooth GPS technology, to undertake location-sensitive questionnaires. Both the virtual environment decision data and the agent model output will be tested against actual visitor movement surveys.
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Real Time Integrity Monitoring at the Rover for GPS-RTK Positioning |
Principal Investigator |
Rodrigo Onederra |
Project Description |
The problem of research in this thesis is: What type of real-time independent integrity monitoring techniques could be successfully applied at the rover (end user) for GPS-RTK surveying? A Real Time Integrity Monitoring System at the rover will provide an independent real-time system verification tool. Resulting in better user confidence of real time data acquisition. The aim of the research is to improve user confidence in real-time GPS-RTK, and real-time acquisition of positioning data, which in turn will increase user confidence, resulting in a greater use of GPS technologies. In some areas of surveying and positioning, it can significantly increase efficiency and improve productivity, compared with traditional surveying techniques and equipment.
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Incorporating Sustainable Development Objectives into ICT enabled Land Administration Systems
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Principal Investigator |
Rohan Bennett |
Project Description |
Humankind has reached a decisive period. Poverty, hunger and ill health are on the rise, and the ecosystems upon which we rely are in decline. Governments have responded by incorporating sustainable development principles into their decision making. Good information is required; however, current land information systems are inadequate. Data is inaccessible, out-of-date and not integrated. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can help solve this problem. I intend to create new models for incorporating sustainable development policy into land administration systems using ICT"
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E-mail Contact |
rbennett @sunrise.sli.unimelb.edu.au |
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Automated Methods in Digital Close Range Photogrammetry |
Principal Investigator |
Simon Cronk |
Project Description |
Simon is researching and developing automated methods in Digital Close Range Photogrammetry. These include automated camera calibration routines, orientation procedures, and other on-line processes that will speed up and simplify the Photogrammetric process. Simon is also interested in maximizing the metric potential of consumer grade colour digital cameras, which will open up the possibility of using Photogrammetry to more people and at a lower cost. |
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Delivery of Online Tourism Information using 3-Dimensional Modelling and Interactive Multimedia Technologies |
Principal Investigator |
Erik Champion |
Project Description |
Erik Champion is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, and the Department ofGeomatics, Faculty of Engineering. His PhD project "Evaluating Cultural Learning in Virtual Environments" (partof a Lonely Planet and ARC SPIRT research grant) aims to evaluate a sense ofcultural presence in virtual heritage environments using techniques distilledfrom game-style contextual interaction. Awards and internationally citedpapers have resulted from this work.
http://www.arbld.unimelb.edu.au/~erikc/
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Multi-visualisations for enhanced comprehension of land use/cover changes |
Principal Investigator |
Xiaogang Chen |
Project Description |
Recently, three dimensional visualisation and realistic simulation are increasingly gaining much attention to represent the real world more similar to the reality, so as to increase the realism. However, little attention has been paid to cognitive issues in facilitating information communication to, and knowledge learning for different users. This leads to a study on multi-visualisations, which integrate two to three dimensional visualisations with animation and interaction, and realistic simulations to for effective communication of spatial information. Following user testing and evaluation in a test environment are finally designed to verify the proposed study. The case study is selected in Northern Xinjiang, China to visualise the land use/cover changes for effective spatial information communication and decision support. |
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2.5 dimensional view with image draping
3 dimensional view of realistic simulation |
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Managing Rural Land Arrangements |
Principal Investigator |
Kate Dalrymple |
Project Description |
Kate's research has focussed on Cambodian rural land and natural resource tenure arrangements, seeking to expand our understanding of both formal and informal rural tenure practices. This information will be used to inform services of land administration and management which to address sustainable development and poverty reduction . Imperative to this research is gaining an understanding of the needs and demands of the rural poor in terms of tenure practices and security for better national planning and development. This research will develop flexible definitions, instruments and betterment paths for securing access to land and natural resources for the rural poor. |
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Resolving Issues in the Definition of the Tidal Interface |
Principal Investigator |
Nathan Daw Quadros |
Project Description |
The demarcation of Australia's coastline has an ambiguous nature both
spatially and legally. This research deals with each of these components in
turn. In addressing the spatial issues, the research aims to identify and
resolve technical issues that impact on the consistent delineation of the
coastline. This research uses a technique where by the various tidal datums
can be mapped using a mathematical approach. Recent technology which enables
coastal terrain data to be captured more accurately at a higher resolution
will be supplemented by hydrodynamic models to derive the required tidal
datums. Using this technique eliminates the need to restrict the data
capture to a certain stage in the tidal-cycle, as the tidal datum is
produced by the intersection of the two generated surfaces.
From the legal perspective, our work will focus on the legal implementation
of the technical solution to the delineation problem discussed above. We
hope the solution thus developed will give spatial certainty and legal
continuity across the land-sea interface, and thus provide for the
management and administration of the inter-tidal zone in a smooth and
efficient way, thereby supporting the concept of an Australian marine
cadastre. |
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A Rigorous Approach to the Technical Implementation of Legally Defined Marine Boundaries |
Principal Investigator |
Roger Fraser |
Project Description |
As a result of the dynamic nature of the marine environment and the human activities that occur therein, the management of marine boundaries is subject to a variety of complex political, legal and technical challenges. This thesis addresses three technical challenges facing the delimitation and positioning of legally defined marine boundaries which cannot be dealt with using conventional land administration and cadastre principles.
- The delimitation and positioning of legal descriptions concerning the marine environment is subject to a measure of spatial uncertainty. Arigorous approach is being developed to determine and communicate that uncertainty.
- Automated procedures for computing legally reliable digital marine boundaries and parcels in four dimensions is a complex and challenging task. Algorithms and procedures to automate the delimitation and visualisation of four dimensional marine parcels are being developed.
- The modelling of, and techniques for handling uncertainty metadata relating to the technical implementation of marine boundaries is not clearly understood. This thesis will outline a comprehensive schema for describing the attributes of uncertainty in the technical implementation of multi--dimensional marine boundaries.
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Extraction of 3D Man-made Structures using Image Sequence Analysis for Visual Simulation |
Principal Investigator |
John Fulton |
Project Description |
Overview:
Integrating man made structures into terrain databases used in visual simulation is a time and resource consuming activity. This research will examine the automatic detection and recovery of 3D information describing man made structures in the real world using image sequence analysis of video camera footage. These structures will be incorporated into virtual worlds for visual simulation applications.
Objectives: Develop new methods of recovering 3D structures from video footage. This would allow the images to be captured by a variety of means and then processed later off line using photogrammetric techniques.
The camera will move in a random way about the structures to be captured. Monocular images recorded in sequence can be assumed to include some of the same features. The images processed will be those of fixed objects from the real world, e.g. buildings, fences, telegraph poles etc. The surface texture of a structure will be generated by an alogirthm which takes all images of the surface into account.
Methodologies, algorithms, and associated software will be developed to allow the incorporation of these extracted 3D structures into visual databases. Automation of this process will be investigated to enable rapid prototyping of virtual worlds populated with realistic 3D imagery.
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Composition of Augmented Reality and GIS To Visualise Environmental Changes |
Principal Investigator |
Payam Ghadirian
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Project Description
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Current visualisation systems have increasingly developed in recent years. With better and more powerful computers, the quality of these systems is much better in comparison even than five years ago. Although the development and popularity of these systems have increased, it seems that there is still a huge gap between real environment and the best virtual worlds that are commonly used. The main reason for this gap, is the limitation of computers to recreate or visualise complexities of the real world. So, in the best case, the result would be a very beautiful animation that is quite different to real world. We can therefore not expect that people behave the same way as the real world.
The development of an interactive visualisation system that can use all the amenities of current systems (Geo-reference 3DGIS) and its composition with a 3D immersion system which use real world elements, would overcome most of the problems associated with current systems. By using Augmented Reality techniques as well as montage and special visual effects, we would also be able to represent environmental changes in this system.
The main objectives of this research are:
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To develop a new immersion situation by using three similar video cameras for recording simultaneous videos and then projecting them on three large screens ( CAEV facilities)
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To develop techniques for representing landscape changes, which come from GIS system, in real texture (video) by using montage and visual special effects
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To compare people's behaviours and choices in the suggested system in comparison with current visualisation systems
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ICT Enabled Land Administration |
Principal Investigator |
Mohsen Kalantari |
Project Description |
Recent development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has serious impact on the development of land administration and Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Both theoretical and practical developments in ICT such as the Internet, data base management systems (DBMS), information system modelling standard, and positioning system will improve the quality , cost effectiveness , performance and maintainability of land administration,
The objective of this research is to develop land administration system using information and communication technology. |
E-mail Contact |
saeidk @sunrise.sli.unimelb.edu.au |
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Fast Ambiguity Resolution using Triple Frequency, Integrated Modernised GPS and Galileo Observation Models over Medium Length Baselines |
Principal Investigator |
Adam Mowlam |
Project Description |
Precise positioning using space-borne navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) relies on the correct determination of carrier phase integer ambiguities. With the proposed modifications of the existing GPS and the introduction of the European Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Galileo it is expected that there will be increased reliability in fast ambiguity resolution. The objective of the research is to ascertain whether the additional GNSS and availability of three frequencies will enable fast (near real-time) positioning over extended distances.
The addition of Galileo will have numerous benefits to geodesy/satellite positioning. The key benefits being an increase in the number of satellites, and subsequently decreasing observation times. New linear combinations will be possible, each with their own benefit (e.g. noise, wavelength characteristics), such as an extra-wide wavelength will have a significant impact on ambiguity resolution.
This research requires the simulation of triple frequency data for both the Modernised GPS and Galileo constellations. The LAMBDA method will then be used to resolve unknown cycle ambiguities of the double differenced observations for the integrated GPS/Galileo solution. |
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Visualization of Spatial Data and Scientific Models for Decision Support |
Principal Investigator |
Alice O’Connor |
Project Description |
This research aims to provide and evaluate 3D visualisation of spatial data and scientific models via a games engine.
The specific objectives of the project are to integrate GIS data into the Torque games engine to provide
- a process for generation of 3D data sets suitable for real-time visualisation from spatial data
- enhanced procedures for representation of output from scientific process models
- integration of scientific and realistic visualisation tools within a common user interface
The research will combine scientific and realistic data to visualise impacts of environmental models in realistic manner, creating a platform for exploration and decision making. The effectiveness of 3D visualisation to communicate scientific model outputs will be evaluated for a range of users. |
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DISCUSS (decision information system for community understanding of spatial scenarios)
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Principal Investigator |
Daniel Paez |
Project Description |
The art of governing involves generating policies for the benefit of
society, devising alternatives to implement the policies and evaluating
alternatives to select the most successful and beneficial for the society;
in most cases these evaluations use economic methods, including cost-benefit
analysis (CBA). Public participation, particularly in evaluation of
alternatives, is accepted by decision makers as a means of improving
decisions and enhancing community support.
Indicators produced in a CBA do not by themselves show spatial results such as who is going to be affected and where positive and negative impacts may occur. Given new policy directions towards environmental sustainability and equity analysis, and desires to maximise public participation, the lack of spatiality in the CBA is a potential disadvantage of the methodology.
The absence of spatial reference in indicators used for decision making potentially compromises open participation especially if only people with economic backgrounds understand the assumptions and theories behind the CBA. Moreover, if stakeholders cannot understand CBA and at the same time cannot express their conception of alternatives and estimate how their communities or regions might be affected, results will not attract confidence.
This research addresses the difficulty of including spatial reference of results of a CBA by creating a Decision Support System called DISCUSS (Decision Information System for Community Understanding of Spatial Sequels). The system facilitates collaboration in government decision processes by disaggregating the results from a CBA.
DISCUSS spatially disaggregates the results from CBA by combining the technical information available and the perceptions of the participants in the decision process. DISCUSS also generates outputs from the point of view of the stakeholders comprising individual representations of spatial sequels. Additionally, the system permits aggregation of all the perceptions from the participants in the decision making process.
Due to its capability to include soft computing techniques for modelling, DISCUSS is also helpful in decision process where complete technical or statistical information about the alternatives of the policy are not available.
The system has been tested with success in the Victoria- Australia in a public policy evaluation process involving the allocation of natural resources. |
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High Precision GPS Deformation Monitoring in an Engineering Environment |
Principal Investigator |
Noor Raziq |
Project Description |
GPS has being used to monitor the long term deformation of engineering structures over the past decade or so. However such structures also exhibit short term motions of high frequency which GPS alone is unable to detect. Knowledge of these high frequency vibrations is important in many engineering applications and assists in the development of Finite Element Models that are used by engineers to predict structural behavior under different loading conditions. Accelerometers have been used to capture high frequency structural deformation but these instruments are prone to drift and other errors which significantly impede their usefulness in high precision monitoring applications. This research will investigate the rigorous integration of GPS and accelerometers to measure both long term and short term deformations of engineering structures by taking advantage of the complementary nature of these two independent measurement techniques. Melbourne’s West Gate bridge will be used as a test site for the development of this integrated monitoring system. |
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An Investigation of marine benthic habitats and the underlying geomorphology associated with them |
Principal Investigator |
Ralph Roob |
Project Description |
An understanding of the associations existing between marine benthic habitats and the underlying geomorphology will benefit the planning of conservation strategies and management protocols. My study has aimed at mapping in detail the geomorphology of the seafloor and identifying benthic communities living there. Geometric principles have assisted in characterising the nature of the seafloor. I am now about to apply biometric techniques to classify discrete marine benthic communities. These data will be further analysed to determine where correlations exist. To date I have surveyed a number of marine habitat types in a variety of environments throughout Australian waters, including Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland. |
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E-mail Contact |
rroob @bigpond.net.au |
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Simulating Impacts of Climatic Anomalies and Landuse Change on the Fire Occurrence Probability in the Brazilian Amazon Region |
Principal Investigator |
Andreia Siqueira |
Project Description |
Currently there is a need of an efficient long-term fire risk assessment support system that integrates and quantifies the relationship between socio-economic factors, topographic features and climatic variables for fire occurrence probability over long time periods. A method that can integrate these variables and simulate, over time where fire is likely to occur is an important tool for long-term land use management. The principal aim of this research is to build a predictive fire model using two different methodologies. These methodologies will quantify the relationship between climatic anomalies, land use change and topography for fire occurrence over time in the Brazilian Amazon Forest. For this, the applicability of novel concepts and techniques of spatial - temporal modelling of land use and climatic anomalies will be investigated. The hypothesis is that such a predictive fire model can be built on the basis of socio-economic and climatic variation and its application could provide an understand about fires in the Amazon region and serve as a tool to help management and planning of deforestation, fire authorization and urban settlement in Amazon region. The two models will be analysed with regards to their capability and applicability as a tool to help planning and decision-making. A comparison between them will be done to find out which methodology is better suited to the Amazon Forest reality. |
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Modeling context for generation of personalised wayfinding instructions |
Principal Investigator |
Martin Tomko |
Project Description |
Determination of the granularity levels and construction of adaptive, personalised wayfinding instructions, profiting of indiviudual, context dependent selection of features standing for atomic route entities.
Personalised route directions, adapting granularity level and the selection of the elements of the environment used in route instructions to a number of aspects of the user’s context, including social, spatial and temporal elements, current and previous activities, can be constructed automatically. The cognitive plausibility of the communicated route directions will improve beyond the level provided by approaches considering only the spatial element of user context. Navigation services providing context-aware wayfinding instructions based on data extracted from heterogeneous data sources such as the Semantic Web extend the possibilities of location-aware technologies.
Homepage: http://www.geom.unimelb.edu.au/tomko/ |
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