Determination of Terrain Profile from TLS Data by Applying Msplit Estimation

Abstract

This paper presents an application of an Msplit estimation in the determination of terrain profiles from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data. We consider the squared Msplit estimation as well as the absolute Msplit estimation. Both variants have never been used to determine terrain profiles from TLS data (the absolute Msplit estimation has never been applied in any TLS data processing). The profiles are computed by applying polynomials of a different degree, determining which coefficients are estimated using the method in question. For comparison purposes, the profiles are also determined by applying a conventional least squares estimation. The analyses are based on simulated as well as real TLS data. The actual objects have been chosen to contain terrain details (or obstacles), which provide some measurements which are not referred to as terrain surface; here, they are regarded as outliers. The empirical tests prove that the proposed approach is efficient and can provide good terrain profiles even if there are outliers in an observation set. The best results are obtained when the absolute Msplit estimation is applied. One can suggest that this method can be used in a vertical displacement analysis in mining damages or ground disasters.