Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2006

3D data capturing with digital photogrammetery has been established for 3D modeling with texture in civil engineering, architecture, industrial meteorology, cultural heritage etc. However there are several handicaps in those existing methods in developing inexpensive and handy 3D data capturing and processing at the site in terns of the weight, power supply, capturing and processing. Considering those problems involved in the existing methods, a digital terrestrial photogrammetric system using an imaging total station has been developed by TOPCON Co, Ltd. called GPT-7000i which achieves long distance by prism-less distance measurement and capture images with built-in camera. Surveying of a total station in easy measuring and standard measuring mode with on-board software can be provides necessary information to automatically perform orientation process, which will result in 3D coordinate measurement. The areas to be measured will be given in the stereo images taken by a digital camera which will be set up near the total station. A 3D model will be generated with TIN model with the pasted texture which will be produced by 3D measurement on the stereo images using TOPCON PI-3000 software. The merit of this system against the existing photogrammetric system will be correctness of 3D measurement with higher accuracy even in low contrast scene areas. The merit against the existing laser scanner system will be higher accuracy as well as inexpensive cost, lighter weight and less power supply. As its actual application, we used this system on building in AlT with simple structure. We measured control points and took its pictures by an ordinary digital camera, visualized it in 3 dimensions and produced the final plan. The result was satisfactory. The system also proved itself to be very useful for us to exchanging information and making decision as to the object extent or various other points of importance on the very site itself. With this system we could also obtain a very positive result in 3D measurement of building, wall relief or statue in ruins or excavations, very steep slopes, rocky cliffs, exposed mines, civil engineering structures etc.