UAV Multispectral Optical Contribution to Coastal 3D Modelling

Due to global changes, UAV flights are of great interest for the surveillance of coastal environments. Some UAVs are fitted with multispectral sensors to better discriminate coastal eco-geo-systems such as saltmarsh meadows and sandy dunes. This research evaluates photogrammetry-based horizontal (XY) and vertical (Z) accuracies derived from four separate channels (Green, G, Red, R, Red-Edge, RE, and Near-Infrared, NIR). The best X and Y accuracy is achieved by the NIR channel (0.07 m and 0.09 m, respectively). The best Z vertical accuracy (0.13 m) is reached with the full set of channels (R-G-RE-NIR). The individualized investigations of the saltmarsh vegetation and the sand dune show that the best vertical accuracies are attained with the NIR and RE with 0.10 m and 0.11 m, respectively. Our findings witness that the visible spectrum, represented by the G and R bands, provide lower performance than the infrared gamut.