Aerial photography for 3D reconstruction in the Peruvian Highlands through a fixed-wing UAV system

Aerial photography has many applications in the fields of archaeology, surveillance, environmental studies, agriculture, among others. One particular use is 3D reconstruction, in which the images from a flight are used alongside GPS and attitude data to create a georeferenced 3D model of the area flown over, which can be useful for examining an area to gain a better perspective. In Peru, this technique is starting to be used to monitor landscapes of interest in the Peruvian Highlands, such as glaciers, mountain ranges, volcanoes and so on. In order to accomplish this task with an acceptable level of accuracy and without spending too many resources, an UAV system capable of carrying an image acquisition system and capable of 30 minutes of flight time in high-altitude (between 5000 and 6200 m.a.s.l.), windy environments is proposed. The reconstructed surfaces obtained with this aircraft are displayed and the quality of the results are discussed in this document.