Re-shaping the way we detect Environmental Risks
In the evolving landscape of environment risk assessment, precision and accuracy are critical. Our client, a leading provider of environmental risk and planning reports across Australia, specializes in converting latest geographical information systems (GIS) datasets into actionable insights.
With a strong foothold in the industry, the client has experienced significant growth in environmental risk reporting services and thereby developed the largest historical land use database in Australia. The end client was a government department in Victoria and NSW, Australia, focused on environment, land, water, and planning. The project aim to provide them with a solution to efficiently process the aerial imagery to create a seamless, color-balanced database while ensuring high levels of accuracy in historical image comparison to detect environmental changes over time.
One of the primary hurdles was maintaining accuracy between master reference vectors and the ortho-rectified images as per the client’s specifications. Additionally, achieving high production quality to ensure accurate placement on the model was important, necessitating a comparison of the digital orthophoto’s visible ground control coordinates with the true coordinates. Approval compliance was another challenge, as steep surfaces such as building facades and slopes could create occlusions and shadows, leading to gaps in the final ortho-images. Furthermore, generating highly accurate Digital Terrain Model (DTM) was crucial. In case of inaccuracy in the DTM, the resulting orthophoto could introduce positional errors, especially in areas with complex terrain.
RMSI provided specialised image processing services such as ortho-rectification, geo-rectification, mosaicing and tiling of aerial photos.
The team of experts from RMSI processed and ortho-rectified the aerial images based on relevant information, including original world image coordinates, image parameters, and image tilt information. The processes involved were:
After the images were ortho-rectified, they were compared with the master reference vectors according to the client’s specifications. If there was any discrepancy between the ortho-rectified images and the reference vector data, the images were geo-rectified to match.
The team engaged in extensive manual work focused on geo-rectification and color balancing to guarantee the accuracy and quality of the photographic data. Additionally, in-house-developed automated and semi-automated tools were implemented to decrease the Turnaround Time (TAT) and enhance the precision of the final products.
The project led to enhanced change detection analysis, as the ortho-rectified aerial images enabled comparison to the historical datasets and provided insights into environmental shifts over decades. Additionally, the new imagery database became instrumental in compiling comprehensive reports to identify any environmental risks and mitigate potential hazards. Furthermore, with access to a unique database of historical business activities, maps, and aerial photos, stakeholders could proactively detect and address contaminated land risks. RMSI’s precision driven geospatial intelligence enabled the client to ensure accuracy in the data and insights for a sustainable future.
