# 4715 / Uav-Based Three-Dimensional Rough Terrain Modelling ## Authors Herman Hamersma, Christian van Aswegen, Glenn Guthrie, and Schalk Els {% hint style="info" %} Paper presented at ISTVS 2024 | 21st International and 12th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of the ISTVS\ Keywords: Terrain modelling; Road profiling; Photogrammetry; UAV surveying; Off-road mobility; Vehicle dynamics simulation\ {% endhint %} ## Abstract Accurate modelling of the interaction between a tyre and the terrain is crucial for successful vehicle dynamics simulation, particularly in challenging off-road conditions. This study introduces a novel approach for obtaining highly accurate three-dimensional terrain models for vehicle simulation. Utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a high-resolution camera, we developed three-dimensional terrain models of an undulating test track with two approaches. To validate the accuracy, these models were compared with measurements obtained from a traditional mechanical road profilometer. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between the two measurement approaches. The primary advantages of the UAV method lie in its speed of data acquisition without compromising accuracy and that the measurements are immune to the terrain macro roughness. In contrast to the labour-intensive measurements required by a mechanical road profilometer and extensive subsequent post-processing, the UAV approach requires minimal time and effort. Additionally, since the UAV method is not coupled to the terrain roughness, it eliminates the integration drift associated with other ground-based approaches which are subjected to terrain excitation. This opens the door to the possibility of modelling very rough terrains and using these terrain models for vehicle dynamics simulations in extreme off-road environments. *** Full paper purchase: \ ISTVS members receive three complimentary papers per year: --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://2024.istvs.org/submissions/papers/4715.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.