METHOD FOR IMPROVED ALIGNMENT OF LARGE AREA, UNSTRUCTURED SANDY DESERT 3D ELEVATION MAPS ACQUIRED BY LIDAR AERIAL MAPPING WITH GNSS RTK FIXED GPS

This paper explores the possibilities of alignment methodologies using software tools, regardless of the industry they are intended for. We present a comparison of several methods for the alignment of temporal 3D elevation maps using commercially available software as compensation for the GPS tagging inaccuracies. Through the process of 3D elevation map alignment, the capabilities of seemingly unrelated software tools for aerial mapping are explored and compared. This paper presents the workflow capabilities of CAD inspection programs, reverse engineering software, and map analysis software tools approaching the 3D elevation maps as 3D models and maps at the same time. Furthermore, the utilization of enduring features - like vegetation instances occurring sparsely in some desert environments is studied in terms of suitability to provide a ground reference. Vegetation occurrences, which seldom grow in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, are inappropriate for precise mapping by LiDAR. Nevertheless, they create a prominent point cloud that may be used as a reference feature under specific consideration. Better map alignment allows for better 3D elevation map comparison, leading to further research of sandy deserts and their fluid-like behavior to increase renewable energy generation in such environments.