Remote Sensing Topographical Measurements and Damage Assessment in Disaster Areas

Topographical measurements are essential for decision makers, restoration works, and evacuation and safety plans in disaster areas.This study is conducted by evaluating the damage to a disaster-affected area based on images measured by a high-resolution camera mounted on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and converting them into a point cloud.Once the point cloud is available, it is classified into three classes: ground, buildings, and other objects.The ground class is used to calculate the Digital Surface Model (DSM), contour lines, in addition to the assessment of road damage.Whereas the building class is used to identify the damaged buildings.This data analysis allows the production of the most required topographical maps, which can be used for urgent decision-making tasks.The suggested approach not only provides speed in data acquisition but also damages assessment in war-affected areas, while also considering the safety aspect for people working within a disaster-affected area.In addition to the topographical measurements, the results provide the location of the damaged buildings and determine the extent of damage to the buildings and whether we can restore them, as well as planning and the estimated cost.