Review of Shoreline Extraction Methods from Aerial Laser Scanning.

Autonomous technologies are increasingly used in various areas of science. The use of unmanned vehicles for hydrographic surveys in shallow coastal areas requires accurate estimation of shoreline position. This is a nontrivial task, which can be performed using a wide range of sensors and methods. The aim of the publication is to review shoreline extraction methods based solely on data from aerial laser scanning (ALS). This narrative review discusses and critically analyses seven publications drawn up in the last ten years. The discussed papers employed nine different shoreline extraction methods based on aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. It should be noted that unambiguous evaluation of shoreline extraction methods is difficult or impossible. This is because not all of the methods reported achieved accuracy, the methods were assessed on different datasets, the measurements were conducted using different devices, the water areas differed in geometrical and optical properties, the shorelines had different geometries, and the extent of anthropogenic transformation. The methods proposed by the authors were compared with a wide range of reference methods.

Analysis of Methods for Determining Shallow Waterbody Depths Based on Images Taken by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Hydrographic surveys enable the acquisition and processing of bathymetric data, which after being plotted onto nautical charts, can help to ensure safety of navigation, monitor changes in the coastal zone, and assess hydro-engineering structure conditions. This study involves the measurement of waterbody depth, identification of the seabed shape and geomorphology, the coastline course, and the location of underwater obstacles. Hydroacoustic systems mounted on vessels are commonly used in bathymetric measurements. However, there is also an increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that can employ sensors such as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) or cameras previously not applied in hydrography. Current systems based on photogrammetric and remote sensing methods enable the determination of shallow waterbody depth with no human intervention and, thus, significantly reduce the duration of measurements, especially when surveying large waterbodies. The aim of this publication is to present and compare methods for determining shallow waterbody depths based on an analysis of images taken by UAVs. The perspective demonstrates that photogrammetric techniques based on the SfM (Structure-from-Motion) and MVS (Multi-View Stereo) method allow high accuracies of depth measurements to be obtained. Errors due to the phenomenon of water-wave refraction remain the main limitation of these techniques. It was also proven that image processing based on the SfM-MVS method can be effectively combined with other measurement methods that enable the experimental determination of the parameters of signal propagation in water. The publication also points out that the Lyzenga, Satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB), and Stumpf methods allow satisfactory depth measurement results to be obtained. However, they require further testing, as do methods using the optical wave propagation properties.