2023 Volume 79 Issue 9 Article ID: 22-00139
In road management in snowy and cold regions, it is crucial to adequately evaluate existing snow protection measures. UAV-SfM surveying, increasingly used in recent years, is an efficient method for measuring snow blowdown around snow protection facilities. However, the conditions peculiar to snow cover may prevent the formation of point clouds or reduce accuracy. In this study, we focused on snow quality, downward shortwave radiation (brightness criterion), and reflectance of the snow surface. We verified the feasibility and accuracy of generated point clouds by varying the sensor size of the camera used and the altitude at which the image was captured. It was confirmed that point clouds could be created in snowy and snow-free environments without missing points. A comparison of the estimated and measured values yielded a mean relative error of −4% with a standard deviation of 2%, indicating no problem in practical use when the target is a snow blowdown.
