A brief history of photogrammetry at 3GSM
Photogrammetry as the task of "obtaining measurements from images" has its roots in the 1850s. In the 20th century, analog photogrammetry was used but it needed to have digital photogrammetry in the 1990s to get more attention. However, it still required particularly qualified and trained people to do that.
3GSM started its business in 2003 and the very first application was a digital photogrammetry system that supported geologists in their documentation work during blasted tunnelling. The main driver for the ShapeMetriX system was having an easy to use system that does not necessarily require having knowledge on photogrammetry
Later the application for blast profiling was added which lead to the BlastMetriX system that was showcased for the first time at the EFEE conference in 2005 in Brighton, England. We sold the first units on this occasion.
Components of the first BlastMetriX 3D system in 2005
Another major change to the application of photogrammetry bases on the introduction of two things: (i) a methodology called “Structure from Motion”, which allows the simultaneous processing of large sets of overlapping images taken with normal grade cameras without pre-calibration and (ii) the upcoming availability of drones. The former facilitated the field procedure especially when complex shaped objects/surfaces are acquired, and the latter omitted occlusions, i.e. having areas that cannot be seen from terrestrial imaging locations.
3GSM started using drone imagery in 2014 and adapted their software to the Structure from Motion technology.
Components of BlastMetriX UAV in 2015
In the meantime, 3GSM has extended the approach to various measurements/applications in the mining industry including:
The BlastMetriX system in 2022 for the optimization of surface blasting works
Consulting and advising at the geohazard?climate?policy nexus
2 年It is amazing how far the field has come since the early days of close range terrestrial photogrammetry 20+ years ago. SfM and drones, especially, but also the analytical and interpretive software needed to work with the results. What good is a point cloud if we geologists or engineers cannot do much with it? You have been real leaders in all of those aspects.