Photogrammetry – History and Modern Uses

The technique dates back as early as 1480 with Leonardo da Vinci’s research on perspective. In 1851, the French inventor Aimé Laussedat saw the possibility of using the newly invented camera in mapping. While in 1867, Prussian architect Albrecht Medenbauer coined the name photogrammetry in his article “Die Photometrophie.” To understand the purpose of photogrammetry, one simply needs to break down the word; “Photo” refers to light, “gram” means to draw, and “-metry” means to measure. Put together, photogrammetry is using photos to draw measurements!

Despite the concept being acknowledged for centuries, the technique’s full potential wasn’t fully realized until the decade leading up to the First World War. Photographs taken from cameras on the ground were used to know the earth’s terrain, which the technique was later dubbed “terrestrial photogrammetry.” Terrestrial photogrammetry uses a fixed position on the ground with the axis parallel to the earth where coordinates and other data can be drawn to create a model. This tool is popular for land surveyors who require special training, but it takes longer to cover a large land area.

Although primarily used for military purposes until the end of the Second World War, aerial photogrammetry became the principal method of map-making, especially in inaccessible areas. From the sky, miles of land can be scaled in a photograph using marks known as ground reference points which can then be used to create a “mosaic” of the land. Cameras are attached to an aircraft and pointed at the ground with a vertical (or near) axis and take overlapping photos, which can be processed into one, the “mosaic”. This technique is prevalent in ecological studies, forestry, and map-making.

The “Space Race” in the 20th Century brought ground-breaking technology, including satellites. In fact, space photogrammetry was a key part of space exploration in the 60s and onwards, with technological advancements making this technique even more relevant. Space photogrammetry is the largest scale known; cameras are fixed on the earth or on satellites positioned on the moon or other parts of space. This technique is used in Google Earth, by meteorologists, and astronomers looking to gather data about planets far away.

Photogrammetry may sound confusing, and though it can be a complex process, it all is based on triangulation. In simple terms, triangulation is the principle of producing 3-dimensional point measurements. So, by mathematically intersecting converging lines in a space, a precise location of a point is determined. Traditional triangulation methods require ground points around a perimeter and in the center of an area. However, global positioning systems (GPS) have changed how the points are established; an angle and separation position are required.

The beauty of triangulation in photogrammetry is that the technique can measure multiple points at one time with practically no limit on the number of triangulation points happening simultaneously. Because photogrammetry uses cameras, the data is reliably captured without physical contact. The photos taken are then overlapped to achieve accurate photogrammetric measurements.

With the advances in technology, photogrammetry has become incredibly sophisticated. While the technology has been around for some time, it has only recently become widely available and affordable. This means that more and more people can take advantage of its possibilities, including developers of video games and movies, engineers, real estate agents, and businesses and consumers interested in immersive events. Let’s take a closer look at the innovative uses for photogrammetry…

In one of our recent events at the Tropicana, we used photogrammetry techniques to create an accurate 3D rendering of the building. We used this model to create the projections required to build the world’s largest video game screen (a record-breaking event!). For 3D rendering and event design, photogrammetry is a powerful tool and can save hours in design and planning work. High-quality images can be inputted directly into rendering software to automatically duplicate the dimensions of a building. It makes our work in custom content creation a lot more accurate and efficient.