Improvement of Full Waveform Airborne Laser Bathymetry Data Processing based on Waves of Neighborhood Points

Abstract

Measurements of the topography of the sea floor are one of the main tasks of hydrographic organizations worldwide. The occurrence of any disaster in maritime traffic can contaminate the environment for many years. Therefore, increasing attention is being paid to the development of effective methods for the detection and monitoring of possible obstacles on the transport route. Bathymetric laser scanners record the full waveform reflected from the object (target). Its transformation allows to obtain information about the water surface, water column, seabed, and the objects on it. However, it is not possible to identify subsequent returns among all waves, leading to a loss of information about the situation under the water. On the basis of the studies conducted, it was concluded that the use of a secondary analysis of a full waveform of the airborne laser bathymetry allowed for the identification of objects on the seabed. It allowed us to detect further points in the point cloud, which are necessary in the identification of objects on the seabed. The results of the experiment showed that, among the area of experiment where objects on the seabed were located, the number of points increased between 150 and 550% and the altitude accuracy of the seabed elevation model even by 50% to the level of 0.30 m with reference to sonar data depending of types of objects.