Research on Automatic Generation of 3D Model Using Point Cloud Data

Abstract

Construction CALS/EC is introduced in public works projects over the whole life cycle for the purpose of reduction of the construction period, quality guarantee, and cost reduction. Especially recently, environmental improvement of the information-oriented construction using 3D data attracts attention for engineering works stage. In the construction site, it is expected to create 3D model from the point cloud data obtained by surveying the site with the total station or the laser scanner. However, it is necessary to solve the problem of how to handle the great amount of point cloud data obtained at the survey based on their characteristics, as well as the problem of required accuracy for the information-oriented construction. The authors have devised a technique to make 3D model of the river embankment, which satisfy the required accuracy of the information-oriented construction from a large quantity of point cloud data. This technique used the point cloud data of the river embankment measured with the laser scanner and DM data of the river embankment. Then, the boundary line (break line) between the crown surface and the slope face of the river embankment is extracted automatically to create 3D model on CAD. However, the following problems were revealed; the freshness depending on the update cycle of DM data, and wrong extraction of a break line due to the noise such as the vegetation between the crown surface and the slope face of the river embankment. In this study, we devised a method for automatically extracting a break line by inferring the crown surface area of the river embankment from the point cloud data, and a method for removing any point cloud data that are the noise such as the vegetation on the crown surface of the embankment. Then we performed evaluation experiments and proved the usability of the devised solution.