Advanced Landslide Prediction Utilising Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

Abstract

Slope stability involves developing a terrain slope profile and determining the geometry of the failure surface to compute the slope factor of safety. Terrain capture and reconstruction traditionally has been expensive, time consuming and manpower intensive. This innovative method utilizing unmanned aerial system technology alongside the advancement in graphics processing can be proven as more effective and cost efficient. This research aims to develop a method to forecast the occurrence of landslide by utilizing drone technology. The objectives are to obtain data on terrain slope, create 3D model of the land, then perform analysis on the slope stability. Drone technology equipped with high accuracy GPS system captures high resolution aerial images of a land area for mapping. The data obtained is uploaded into computer software to generate the 3D model of the land. Then, the critical details such as contours or the elevations can be extracted. This information is transferred into an alternative software such as GeoStudio to analyze the stability of slope. Thus, the results can be used to predict the level of safety of the terrain slope and taken for further safety measures involving the particular area.