I SAPR (Sistemi Aeromobili a Pilotaggio Remoto) per il rilievo e il monitoraggio del territorio: stato dell’arte e applicazioni fotogrammetriche

I Sistemi Aeromobili a Pilotaggio Remoto (SAPR) rappresentano la grande novità degli ultimi anni nell’ambito delle applicazioni per il rilievo e il monitoraggio del territorio. Molte ricerche sono state portate avanti per definire limiti e potenzialità di questi sistemi, ma ancora, non è possibile avere degli standard operativi sia per le accuratezze dei rilievi sia per l’affidabilità degli elaborati. L’articolo descrive le caratteristiche principali dei SAPR attualmente utilizzati per applicazioni professionali e le varie fasi che caratterizzano il rilievo fotogrammetrico con questi sistemi per la produzione di modelli 3D e di dati cartografici utili ai fini delle indagini geologiche/geomorfologiche.The Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are the great innovation of the last few years for the survey and the monitoring of the territory. Many researches have been carried out to define the limits and potential of these systems, but still now it is not possible to have effective standards for survey accuracy and metric reliability. The paper describes the main features of the RPAS currently used for professional applications and the various steps of the photogrammetric survey with these systems to produce 3D models and cartographic data useful for of geological/geomorphological purposes

Historical and current diversity patterns of mediterranean marine species

In this issue, the biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea has been described at a synchronic and a diachronic level, highlighting the past two centuries for which museum collections can provide overlooked information. Historical records are preserved for the major marine taxa, knowledge of which would greatly benefit from employing specimens and data collected in the past. All of the articles review the current status of the marine diversity of species belonging to several taxonomic groups (seagrasses, macroalgae, sponges, polychaetes, bivalves, sharks, fishes, mammals) and explore the ecological and conservation implications of some of the most threatened ones

Desalination effluents and the establishment of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the south-eastern Mediterranean

A decade long monitoring programme has revealed a flourishing population of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla in the vicinity of outfalls of desalination plants off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The first specimens were collected in 2010, thus predating all previously published records of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A decade-long disturbance regime related to the construction and operation of the plants may have had a critical role in driving the population growth

Desalination effluents and the establishment of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 in the south-eastern Mediterranean

A decade long monitoring programme has revealed a flourishing population of the non-indigenous skeleton shrimp Paracaprella pusilla in the vicinity of outfalls of desalination plants off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. The first specimens were collected in 2010, thus predating all previously published records of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. A decade-long disturbance regime related to the construction and operation of the plants may have had a critical role in driving the population growth

Neurocysticercosis: A Review

Neuroysticercosis is the most common helminthic infection of the nervous system, and a leading cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide. The disease occurs when humans become intermediate hosts of Taenia solium by ingesting its eggs from contaminated food or, most often, directly from a taenia carrier by the fecal-to-oral route. Cysticerci may be located in brain parenchyma, subarachnoid space, ventricular system, or spinal cord, causing pathological changes that are responsible for the pleomorphism of neurocysticercosis. Seizures are the most common clinical manifestation, but many patients present with focal deficits, intracranial hypertension, or cognitive decline. Accurate diagnosis of neurocysticercosis is possible after interpretation of clinical data together with findings of neuroimaging studies and results of immunological tests. The introduction of cysticidal drugs have changed the prognosis of most patients with neurocysticercosis. These drugs have shown to reduce the burden of infection in the brain and to improve the clinical course of the disease in most patients. Further efforts should be directed to eradicate the disease through the implementation of control programs against all the interrelated steps in the life cycle of T. solium, including human carriers of the adult tapeworm, infected pigs, and eggs in the environment

Growth and reproduction data of Plesionika narval (Decapoda, Caridea, Pandalidae) off the Island of Ustica (southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

We here report some data on the biology and population structure of Plesionika narval (Fabricius, 1787) captured along the coast of the island of Ustica in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Specimens were collected monthly from January to October 2000 using commercial traps at depths ranging from 15 to 100 metres. The carapace length (CL) of females ranged between 7.0 and 26.0 mm, and between 7.0 and 17.0 mm for males. Three modes were identified in the cumulative frequency distribution for females but only two for males. In females, the third modal value was observed only at the deeper sample sites. The Von Bertalanffy growth parameters and performance index ϕ were K = 0.65 y−1, CL∞ = 27.4 mm CL and ϕ = 2.62 for females, and K = 0.71 y−1, CL∞ = 17.8 mm CL and ϕ = 2.28 for males. Ovigerous females were found during the entire period of the investigation, indicating that this species spawns all year round. We compared our results with other data recorded in the literature

Vision metrology and Structure from Motion for archaeological heritage 3D reconstruction: A Case Study of various Roman mosaics

Vision metrology and computer vision can be successfully used for archaeological heritage 3D reconstruction in very high uncertainty 3D measurement projects. Of those archaeological objects requiring very accurate measurements (<1 mm), ancient mosaics comprise some of the most important. The aim of this paper is to assess the photogrammetric/computer vision approach in a vision metrology context as part of a 3D mosaics survey. In order to evaluate the optimal photogrammetric/computer vision workflow in this work, three different surveys were performed on three mosaics of different sizes and locations. Two of these are stored at the Antonino Salinas Regional Archaeological Museum in Palermo (Italy) and the other is located at the Baglio Anselmi Regional Archaeological Museum in Marsala (Italy). The mosaics survey was undertaken in order to obtain a very detailed 3D model and a full-scale ortho-image (scale 1:1), which would be useful for documentation and restoration processes. The research involved an evaluation of the potential and the related issues of the photogrammetric/computer vision approach for 3D mosaic documentation, particularly regarding the issue of camera calibration

Sperimentazione di procedure automatiche in fotogrammetria close-range per il rilievo di Beni Culturali

Lo sviluppo di procedure automatiche in fotogrammetria close-range rappresenta attualmente un interessante argomento di ricerca soprattutto per quanto riguarda la fase di orientamento delle immagini. L’automazione del processo è principalmente dovuta all’integrazione tra tecniche derivate dalla Computer Vision e tecniche fotogrammetriche che ha consentito di sviluppare software scientifici e commerciali che consentono di eseguire automaticamente il processo di orientamento. L’obiettivo dello studio svolto è quello di eseguire una prima verifica sulle potenzialità delle procedure automatiche disponibili nel software PhotoModeler Scanner 2011 della EOS Systems. Tali procedure utilizzano la strategia della “Structure from Motion” che consente di orientare automaticamente anche un numero molto elevato di immagini. Differenti casi studio, dal punto di vista della forma, della dimensione, del materiale e dei dettagli architettonici, sono stati presi in considerazione per le operazioni di verifica

Flow-bed interactions analysis and application of automatic close range digital photogrammetric survey in a laboratory flume

This paper reports on a laboratory study in which the automatic digital photogrammetric survey was applied to derive the high-resolution Digital Surface Model (DSM) of the bed topography, used for the flow-bed interactions analysis, in a large amplitude meandering laboratory flume. The analysis has been conducted with the aid of detailed data of three-dimensional flow field previously collected using the acoustic Doppler velocity profiler DOP2000. The applied surveying procedure has allowed the evaluation of the DSM with a resolution of ±0.5 mm. The detailed DSM has been compared with peculiar maps describing the flow velocity pattern (downstream and the crossstream flows) and the shear velocity distribution along the meandering flume. The comparison has highlighted that high quality topographic data are of crucial importance to evaluate the crosscirculation effect on the redistribution of the velocity and boundary shear stress and, thereby, on the meandering channel evolution

Integrated surveying techniques in cultural heritage documentation

This paper is focused on integration between laser scanning data, CAD modelling and photogrammetric data collected during the survey of one façade of the monument called “Quattro Canti” in the historic centre of Palermo. The investigation has been directed to the production of a 3D photorealistic model of the monument. The “Quattro Canti” monument is formed by four cylindrical façades facing the square where the older streets of Palermo intersect; each façade has a symbolic reference to one of the seasons and is divided in four levels. The façade called “Canto dell’Autunno” has been surveyed both with laser scanning and with photogrammetric techniques. Laser scanning data have been collected in a single scan with a resolution of about 7 mm; stereoscopical photos have been taken with a film camera Rollei 6006; all data have been referred to a topographic reference system. The investigation has been restricted to the third level of the “Canto dell’Autunno” façade. The surface model has been built from laser scanning data with an automatic triangulation process; the inconsistent parts have been substituted using CAD models and points extracted via photogrammetric image matching. Photogrammetric processes have been used also to produce a 3D orthophoto. In order to produce a 3D photorealistic model of the investigated area, photogrammetric texture mapping has been performed with a commercial software